Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oral and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Oral, Kazakhstan
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Oral
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$723
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $723 per month in Oral vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oral $723
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in Oral vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oral $1,099
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,476 per month in Oral vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Oral $1,476
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Oral is about 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Oral and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Oral 47% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 ₸3,764
$2.24 ฿75.6
270.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.73 ₸15.3K
$19.00 ฿641
77.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.12 ₸3,684
$5.55 ฿187
46.31%
Cappuccino
$1.85 ₸840
$1.67 ฿56.5
10.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 ₸441
$0.64 ฿21.55
51.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 ₸267
$0.31 ฿10.31
90.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.87 ₸394
$2.36 ฿79.6
-63.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ₸934
$3.66 ฿124
-43.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 ₸661
$1.95 ฿65.8
-25.13%
White Bread (500g)
$0.47 ₸213
$1.44 ฿48.48
-67.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 ₸768
$1.33 ฿45.04
27.07%
Eggs
$1.44 ₸652
$2.28 ฿77.1
-36.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.92 ₸4,044
$16.45 ฿555
-45.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₸1,993
$2.78 ฿93.9
57.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.31 ₸5,129
$9.31 ฿314
21.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.25 ₸567
$2.35 ฿79.4
-46.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 ₸919
$0.97 ฿32.80
109.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.38 ₸1,079
$1.60 ฿53.9
48.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.24 ₸1,470
$1.50 ฿50.6
116.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 ₸190
$1.28 ฿43.12
-67.19%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 ₸147
$1.10 ฿37.19
-70.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ₸322
$0.71 ฿23.82
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 ₸515
$0.49 ฿16.37
132.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 ₸997
$4.14 ฿140
-46.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.72 ₸3,502
$17.52 ฿591
-55.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 ₸296
$1.61 ฿54.5
-59.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.78 ฿94.0
-
🚌 Getting Around
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 ₸105
$0.87 ฿29.31
-73.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,826
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.65 ₸295
$1.16 ฿39.06
-43.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.53 ฿17.80
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 ₸2,481
$2.42 ฿81.8
126.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.62 ₸282
$1.45 ฿48.90
-57.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.1K ฿710.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.5K ₸13.8M
$26.9K ฿909.3K
13.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.8 ₸38.0K
$62.2 ฿2,098
34.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.66 ₸3,930
$12.17 ฿411
-28.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.61 ₸6,627
$20.12 ฿679
-27.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.5 ₸25.2K
$37.31 ฿1,259
48.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.41 ₸1,546
$6.49 ฿219
-47.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$736 ฿24.8K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.17 ₸15.0K
$53.4 ฿1,801
-37.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$24.64 ฿831
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$91.5 ฿3,087
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$71.9 ฿2,428
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$281 ₸127.2K
$482 ฿16.3K
-41.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$213 ₸96.8K
$309 ฿10.4K
-30.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$449 ₸203.8K
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-55.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$317 ₸143.6K
$633 ฿21.4K
-50.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oral
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$439 ₸199.4K
$590 ฿19.9K
-25.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$309
Groceries & Markets
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$234
Clothing & Footwear
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$94
Eating Out
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$78
Getting Around
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$61
Sport & Entertainment
Oral
–
Chiang Mai
$50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Oral 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.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Oral versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Oral vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Oral wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇿 Oral
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
09:11 9:11 AM
11:11 11:11 AM
2 h ahead of Oral
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
256,960
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oral Chiang Mai 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oral
  • 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
Oral vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Oral or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Oral, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Oral and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,084 per month in Oral 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, Oral or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How much does it cost to live in Oral compared to Chiang Mai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $723 in Oral and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Oral about 23% cheaper.
Are groceries more expensive in Oral or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Oral or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Oral compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Oral or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Oral. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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