Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nyeri and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyeri: $503 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Nyeri
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Nyeri Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nyeri

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $503 per month in Nyeri vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nyeri $503
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $860 per month in Nyeri vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nyeri $860
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,218 per month in Nyeri vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nyeri $1,218
Chiang Mai $1,914

Nyeri is about 46% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nyeri and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nyeri 63% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 KES 592

$2.26 ฿75.4

102.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.72 KES 4,501

$19.18 ฿641

81.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.53 KES 847

$5.59 ฿187

16.82%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$1.72 ฿57.6

13.95%

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

$0.29 KES 38.21

$0.64 ฿21.54

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.4

$0.33 ฿11.18

69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 297

$2.36 ฿78.7

-2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 KES 348

$3.90 ฿130

-31.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 KES 62.8

$2.05 ฿68.6

-76.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 KES 63.0

$1.40 ฿46.70

-65.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 KES 112

$1.28 ฿42.89

-32.03%

Eggs

$1.75 KES 227

$2.25 ฿75.3

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 KES 1,376

$16.94 ฿566

-37.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 KES 776

$2.74 ฿91.6

118.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.50 KES 583

$9.36 ฿313

-51.92%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$2.40 ฿80.3

-69.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.52 KES 67.4

$1.01 ฿33.92

-48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 KES 92.1

$1.61 ฿53.9

-55.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.33 KES 42.17

$1.52 ฿50.7

-78.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 KES 31.15

$1.28 ฿42.90

-81.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 56.7

$1.11 ฿37.22

-60.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.7

$0.72 ฿24.09

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 KES 73.5

$0.52 ฿17.54

9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 KES 194

$4.33 ฿145

-65.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 KES 1,525

$17.73 ฿593

-33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 KES 290

$1.63 ฿54.4

36.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 KES 349

$2.85 ฿95.3

-5.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 KES 95.9

$0.85 ฿28.31

-12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.59 KES 2,022

$53.9 ฿1,801

-71.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$1.17 ฿39.18

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 KES 147

$0.57 ฿19.00

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 KES 154

$2.37 ฿79.2

-50.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 KES 182

$1.45 ฿48.32

-3.45%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

7.35%

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

$20.3K KES 2.6M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-23.43%

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

$15.70 KES 2,035

$62.3 ฿2,083

-74.81%

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

$11.59 KES 1,503

$12.27 ฿410

-5.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.66 KES 4,623

$19.97 ฿668

78.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.62 KES 4,488

$37.91 ฿1,267

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.47 KES 6,025

$3.76 ฿126

1135.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 KES 1,017

$6.71 ฿224

16.84%

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

$253 KES 32.8K

$797 ฿26.6K

-68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.52 KES 1,494

$53.3 ฿1,780

-78.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.83 KES 1,792

$25.05 ฿837

-44.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.92 KES 4,527

$91.6 ฿3,062

-61.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.09 KES 2,475

$73.5 ฿2,455

-74.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.9 KES 12.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-79.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.6 KES 9,150

$305 ฿10.2K

-76.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 KES 25.2K

$915 ฿30.6K

-78.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$552 ฿18.5K

-72.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$228 KES 29.6K

$595 ฿19.9K

-61.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

5.57

164.09%

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

Last update for Nyeri: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nyeri

$158 31.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 50.6% $80

Eating Out

Nyeri

$100 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 20.9% $21

Accommodation & Living

Nyeri

$71 14%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 332% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nyeri

$63 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 50.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Nyeri

$50 10%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 2% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Nyeri

$36 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 207% $74

Getting Around

Nyeri

$26 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 138% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $92.9 in Nyeri 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 161% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Nyeri versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $158 in Nyeri vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Nyeri wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nyeri

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

4 h ahead of Nyeri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,908

127,240

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nyeri Chiang Mai 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nyeri
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than Nyeri, 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 $755 per month in Nyeri 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 Nyeri, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $253 per month in Nyeri and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% 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 Nyeri, where all-in costs run around $503, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Nyeri 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. Nyeri costs $503 versus $938 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 Nyeri. 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.