Cost of Living Comparison Between Paszto and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Paszto and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,173 per month in Paszto vs $848 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,821 per month in Paszto vs $1,331 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,469 per month in Paszto vs $1,814 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Paszto costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Paszto and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Paszto 12% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 Ft 3,521

$1.96 ฿63.6

497.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.14 Ft 14.5K

$18.39 ฿598

161.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 Ft 2,468

$7.87 ฿256

4.32%

Cappuccino

$2.46 Ft 739

$1.95 ฿63.4

26.15%

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

$1.37 Ft 412

$0.85 ฿27.57

61.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 Ft 298

$0.32 ฿10.52

209.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 Ft 775

$2.14 ฿69.6

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 Ft 794

$3.68 ฿120

-28.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 339

$1.66 ฿53.9

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 464

$1.56 ฿50.7

-1.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 Ft 531

$1.19 ฿38.63

48.74%

Eggs

$2.94 Ft 884

$1.99 ฿64.7

47.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 Ft 2,840

$16.24 ฿528

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 Ft 1,704

$3.17 ฿103

78.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 Ft 3,305

$10.84 ฿352

1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Ft 668

$2.65 ฿86.2

-16.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 Ft 581

$1.22 ฿39.67

58.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 Ft 615

$1.65 ฿53.7

24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 Ft 1,260

$1.55 ฿50.3

170.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 Ft 423

$1.33 ฿43.17

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 Ft 398

$1.21 ฿39.43

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 Ft 443

$0.68 ฿22.04

116.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Ft 158

$0.57 ฿18.38

-7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 Ft 2,215

$4.68 ฿152

57.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 Ft 1,486

$16.99 ฿552

-70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 344

$1.82 ฿59.3

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 Ft 360

$3.18 ฿103

-62.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 Ft 342

$0.91 ฿29.46

25.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.53 Ft 7,672

$18.74 ฿609

36.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 Ft 858

$1.41 ฿45.80

102.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 Ft 345

$1.34 ฿43.52

-14.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.29 Ft 5,196

$8.14 ฿265

112.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 Ft 511

$1.28 ฿41.53

32.81%

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

$31.6K Ft 9.5M

$21.8K ฿709.3K

44.92%

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

$36.6K Ft 11.0M

$22.4K ฿728.0K

63.50%

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

$148 Ft 44.5K

$70.5 ฿2,291

110.14%

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

$30.04 Ft 9,026

$14.05 ฿457

113.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.14 Ft 7,253

$17.65 ฿574

36.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.32 Ft 14.2K

$41.29 ฿1,342

14.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 Ft 5,143

$6.76 ฿220

153.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 Ft 2,374

$5.96 ฿194

32.55%

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

$456 Ft 137.0K

$303 ฿9,846

50.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,852 Ft 2.1M

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-54.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 Ft 26.6K

$54.7 ฿1,778

61.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 Ft 7,903

$26.29 ฿854

0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 Ft 28.3K

$85.8 ฿2,788

9.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 Ft 32.3K

$69.7 ฿2,265

54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 Ft 133.3K

$428 ฿13.9K

3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 Ft 102.4K

$239 ฿7,769

42.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 Ft 189.4K

$811 ฿26.4K

-22.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 Ft 159.3K

$510 ฿16.6K

4.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,052 Ft 917.0K

$2,025 ฿65.8K

50.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,593 Ft 779.3K

$1,502 ฿48.8K

72.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$782 Ft 235.1K

$623 ฿20.2K

25.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

60.00%

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

Last update for Paszto: June 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Paszto versus $428 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 26% higher in Paszto, 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 $48.00 in Paszto versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $224 in Paszto vs $242 in Chiang Mai – so Paszto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Paszto costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,760 per month in Paszto and $1,272 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 $456 per month in Paszto and $303 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 8% cheaper in Paszto – 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 $848, than in Paszto at $1,173. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paszto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $848 versus $1,173 in Paszto. 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, Paszto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.