Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novokuznetsk and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,382 in Novokuznetsk, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Novokuznetsk
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Novokuznetsk Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Novokuznetsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,382

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Novokuznetsk and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Novokuznetsk and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,382 per month in Novokuznetsk vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novokuznetsk $1,382
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,238 per month in Novokuznetsk vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novokuznetsk $2,238
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,093 per month in Novokuznetsk vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Novokuznetsk $3,093
Chiang Mai $1,914

Novokuznetsk costs about 47% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Novokuznetsk sits 2% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.84 ₽988

$2.26 ฿75.4

423.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 ₽4,901

$19.18 ฿641

206.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ₽559

$5.59 ฿187

19.68%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₽209

$1.72 ฿57.6

45.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₽170

$0.64 ฿21.54

218.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₽95.4

$0.33 ฿11.18

245.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ₽342

$2.36 ฿78.7

73.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 ₽486

$3.90 ฿130

49.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₽117

$2.05 ฿68.6

-31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 ₽67.4

$1.40 ฿46.70

-42.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ₽114

$1.28 ฿42.89

7.03%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽131

$2.25 ฿75.3

-30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 ₽715

$16.94 ฿566

-49.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 ₽576

$2.74 ฿91.6

151.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 ₽780

$9.36 ฿313

-0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₽167

$2.40 ฿80.3

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 ₽189

$1.01 ฿33.92

123.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₽193

$1.61 ฿53.9

44.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 ₽334

$1.52 ฿50.7

163.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$1.28 ฿42.90

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₽49.07

$1.11 ฿37.22

-46.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ₽121

$0.72 ฿24.09

101.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₽56.3

$0.52 ฿17.54

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ₽305

$4.33 ฿145

-15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ₽493

$17.73 ฿593

-66.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₽150

$1.63 ฿54.4

10.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₽222

$2.85 ฿95.3

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽47.78

$0.85 ฿28.31

-32.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 ₽2,500

$53.9 ฿1,801

-44.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ₽145

$1.17 ฿39.18

48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₽48.43

$0.57 ฿19.00

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 ₽68.1

$1.45 ฿48.32

-43.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.5K ₽2.7M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

58.93%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.8K ₽2.8M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

27.67%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$221 ₽18.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

254.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.98 ₽415

$12.27 ฿410

-59.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.36 ₽531

$19.97 ฿668

-68.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₽4,225

$37.91 ฿1,267

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.86 ₽2,325

$3.76 ฿126

640.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 ₽611

$6.71 ฿224

9.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$673 ₽56.2K

$797 ฿26.6K

-15.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₽1.5M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

17.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 ₽11.7K

$53.3 ฿1,780

163.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.2 ₽7,029

$25.05 ฿837

236.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 ₽15.1K

$91.6 ฿3,062

97.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$364 ₽30.4K

$73.5 ฿2,455

395.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$452 ₽37.7K

$464 ฿15.5K

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 ₽24.4K

$305 ฿10.2K

-3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ₽79.7K

$915 ฿30.6K

4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 ₽56.0K

$552 ฿18.5K

21.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,205 ₽184.1K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

15.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ₽123.4K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

2.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 ₽46.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

-5.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.75

5.57

308.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Novokuznetsk: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Clothing & Footwear

Novokuznetsk

$346 25.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 68.4% $237

Accommodation & Living

Novokuznetsk

$293 21.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 4.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Novokuznetsk

$232 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 59.3% $138

Groceries & Markets

Novokuznetsk

$219 15.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 8.8% $19

Eating Out

Novokuznetsk

$190 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 58.4% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Novokuznetsk

$65 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Novokuznetsk

$37 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 66.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $452 in Novokuznetsk versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Novokuznetsk versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Novokuznetsk vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Novokuznetsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Novokuznetsk

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

Same time as Novokuznetsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

544,583

127,240

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Novokuznetsk Chiang Mai 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Novokuznetsk
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Novokuznetsk vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novokuznetsk costs about 47% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,073 per month in Novokuznetsk and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $673 per month in Novokuznetsk and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Novokuznetsk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Novokuznetsk at $1,382. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Novokuznetsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,382 in Novokuznetsk. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Novokuznetsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.