Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okara and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Okara: $502 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Okara, Pakistan
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Okara
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$502
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $502 per month in Okara vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Okara $502
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $766 per month in Okara vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Okara $766
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,031 per month in Okara vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Okara $1,031
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Both Okara and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Okara 63% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.46 PKR 681
$2.24 ฿75.6
9.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.68 PKR 4,062
$19.00 ฿641
-22.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 PKR 1,553
$5.55 ฿187
1.08%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.63 PKR 1,004
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.32 PKR 1,471
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.61 PKR 722
$1.67 ฿56.5
56.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 PKR 113
$0.64 ฿21.54
-35.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 PKR 72.5
$0.31 ฿10.31
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.36 ฿79.5
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.66 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.64 PKR 177
$1.95 ฿65.7
-67.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 PKR 201
$1.44 ฿48.46
-49.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.17 PKR 324
$1.33 ฿45.03
-12.03%
Eggs
$1.20 PKR 331
$2.28 ฿77.1
-47.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.25 PKR 1,729
$16.45 ฿555
-62.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.45 PKR 679
$2.78 ฿93.9
-11.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.97 PKR 1,374
$9.31 ฿314
-46.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.18 PKR 327
$2.35 ฿79.4
-49.79%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 PKR 179
$0.97 ฿32.79
-32.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.83 PKR 231
$1.60 ฿53.9
-48.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.59 PKR 162
$1.50 ฿50.6
-60.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.29 PKR 79.5
$1.28 ฿43.11
-77.34%
Onion (1kg)
$0.36 PKR 98.6
$1.10 ฿37.18
-67.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.48 PKR 133
$0.71 ฿23.82
-32.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.38 PKR 105
$0.49 ฿16.36
-22.45%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.11 PKR 306
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 PKR 171
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 PKR 477
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.13 PKR 591
$4.14 ฿140
-48.55%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$17.52 ฿591
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.61 ฿54.5
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.78 ฿93.9
-
🚌 Getting Around
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 PKR 49.45
$0.87 ฿29.30
-79.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.77 PKR 2,704
$54.1 ฿1,825
-81.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 PKR 254
$1.16 ฿39.04
-20.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 PKR 193
$0.53 ฿17.80
32.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.76 PKR 487
$2.42 ฿81.7
-27.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 PKR 244
$1.45 ฿48.88
-39.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.0K PKR 5.0M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
-14.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K PKR 6.6M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
-11.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 PKR 35.2K
$62.2 ฿2,098
104.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.66 PKR 1,565
$12.17 ฿411
-53.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.14 PKR 4,467
$20.12 ฿679
-19.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.19 PKR 4,203
$37.31 ฿1,259
-59.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.91 PKR 2,190
$3.77 ฿127
109.81%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 PKR 1,172
$6.49 ฿219
-34.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$14.17 PKR 3,921
$736 ฿24.8K
-98.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,054 PKR 568.3K
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-86.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.53 PKR 4,850
$53.4 ฿1,801
-67.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.71 PKR 7,667
$24.64 ฿831
12.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.3 PKR 20.0K
$91.5 ฿3,087
-21.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.39 PKR 9,239
$71.9 ฿2,427
-53.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$118 PKR 32.7K
$482 ฿16.3K
-75.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$82.9 PKR 22.9K
$309 ฿10.4K
-73.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$251 PKR 69.5K
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-75.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$203 PKR 56.2K
$633 ฿21.4K
-67.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$808 PKR 223.5K
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-65.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$564 PKR 156.0K
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-64.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okara
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.05
5.57
152.24%

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

Last update for Okara: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okara
$149
Chiang Mai
$94 36.6% $54
Groceries & Markets
Okara
$93
Chiang Mai
$234 152% $141
Accommodation & Living
Okara
$83
Chiang Mai
$309 273% $226
Eating Out
Okara
$70
Chiang Mai
$78 10.1% $7.1
Clothing & Footwear
Okara
$68
Chiang Mai
$109 60% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Okara
$24
Chiang Mai
$50 113% $27
Getting Around
Okara
$15
Chiang Mai
$61 312% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Okara versus $482 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 $15 in Okara versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $93 vs $234 – making Okara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Okara
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
10:36 10:36 AM
12:36 12:36 PM
2 h ahead of Okara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
357,935
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okara Chiang Mai 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Okara
  • 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
Okara vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Okara or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than Okara, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Okara and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $753 per month in Okara and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Okara or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $118 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Okara and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $14.17 per month in Okara and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Okara or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 152% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Okara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Okara is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 46% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Okara vs other spots: cost of living compared

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