Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nowshera and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowshera: $509 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Nowshera
Learn more

Nowshera Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Nowshera

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$509

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nowshera 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 Nowshera and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $509 per month in Nowshera vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nowshera $509
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $798 per month in Nowshera vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nowshera $798
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,087 per month in Nowshera vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nowshera $1,087
Chiang Mai $1,903

Nowshera is about 45% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nowshera and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nowshera 62% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 976

$2.29 ฿76.5

54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.17 PKR 6,413

$19.64 ฿656

17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 PKR 1,515

$5.61 ฿188

-2.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 PKR 986

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 PKR 1,904

Cappuccino

$2.60 PKR 720

$1.66 ฿55.6

56.63%

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

$0.33 PKR 90.0

$0.70 ฿23.40

-52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.1

$0.31 ฿10.24

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PKR 278

$1.95 ฿65.3

-48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 215

$1.41 ฿47.03

-44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.31 ฿43.62

-4.58%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$2.18 ฿72.9

-44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 PKR 1,680

$16.65 ฿556

-63.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 PKR 843

$2.76 ฿92.2

10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.42 PKR 1,499

$9.11 ฿304

-40.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 354

$2.39 ฿80.0

-46.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$1.03 ฿34.26

-15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 PKR 297

$1.63 ฿54.4

-34.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.50 ฿50.0

-62.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 80.5

$1.29 ฿43.13

-77.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.1

$1.11 ฿37.03

-67.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 PKR 83.0

$0.72 ฿24.08

-58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.53 ฿17.59

-24.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 PKR 503

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 PKR 654

$4.31 ฿144

-45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.97

$0.86 ฿28.86

-81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.83 PKR 2,721

$53.3 ฿1,780

-81.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.21 ฿40.29

3.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 194

$0.57 ฿18.99

22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 PKR 437

$2.35 ฿78.6

-32.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.44 ฿47.96

-8.33%

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

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

6.20%

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

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-10.42%

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

$101 PKR 27.9K

$62.3 ฿2,083

61.51%

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

$5.90 PKR 1,632

$12.11 ฿405

-51.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,747

$19.94 ฿666

-13.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.69 PKR 4,066

$37.07 ฿1,239

-60.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 PKR 2,210

$3.78 ฿126

111.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 PKR 1,234

$6.50 ฿217

-31.38%

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

$74.5 PKR 20.6K

$793 ฿26.5K

-90.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,043 PKR 288.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-92.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.20 PKR 7,252

$53.7 ฿1,796

-51.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 PKR 9,761

$24.62 ฿823

43.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 PKR 26.6K

$90.9 ฿3,036

5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.04 PKR 11.1K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$125 PKR 34.5K

$455 ฿15.2K

-72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.9 PKR 21.0K

$298 ฿9,954

-74.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 PKR 71.1K

$908 ฿30.4K

-71.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.6K

$554 ฿18.5K

-72.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$948 PKR 262.4K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-50.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 PKR 134.6K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-66.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

5.57

134.83%

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

Last update for Nowshera: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nowshera

$124 24.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 23.7% $29

Groceries & Markets

Nowshera

$104 20.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 127% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Nowshera

$89 17.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 21.5% $19

Eating Out

Nowshera

$78 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 0.8% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Nowshera

$76 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 293% $222

Sport & Entertainment

Nowshera

$24 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 112% $26

Getting Around

Nowshera

$15 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 299% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Nowshera versus $455 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Nowshera versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $104 in Nowshera vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Nowshera wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Nowshera

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Nowshera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,131

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nowshera Chiang Mai 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Nowshera
Chiang Mai

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Chiang Mai costs about 82% more than Nowshera, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $764 per month in Nowshera and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $74.5 per month in Nowshera and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 127% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nowshera, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Nowshera it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nowshera costs $509 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. 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 Nowshera. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.