Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $415 per month in Quetta vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quetta $415
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $620 per month in Quetta vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quetta $620
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $826 per month in Quetta vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Quetta $826
Chiang Mai $1,979

Quetta is about 56% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quetta and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Quetta 70% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PKR 971

$2.24 ฿75.6

56.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.77 PKR 2,980

$19.00 ฿641

-43.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 PKR 1,270

$5.55 ฿187

-17.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 515

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,431

Cappuccino

$1.65 PKR 456

$1.67 ฿56.5

-1.20%

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

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.64 ฿21.54

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 PKR 48.34

$0.31 ฿10.31

-45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 206

$1.95 ฿65.7

-61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.44 ฿48.46

-61.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 353

$1.33 ฿45.03

-3.76%

Eggs

$1.18 PKR 327

$2.28 ฿77.1

-48.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,388

$16.45 ฿555

-69.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 816

$2.78 ฿93.9

6.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 PKR 1,434

$9.31 ฿314

-44.36%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 275

$2.35 ฿79.4

-57.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.97 ฿32.79

-42.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 190

$1.60 ฿53.9

-56.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.50 ฿50.6

-63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$1.28 ฿43.11

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.10 ฿37.18

-52.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.71 ฿23.82

-40.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.49 ฿16.36

-18.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 563

$4.14 ฿140

-50.72%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 PKR 37.88

$0.87 ฿29.30

-83.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.01 PKR 2,493

$54.1 ฿1,825

-83.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 PKR 289

$1.16 ฿39.04

-10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.53 ฿17.80

-11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 PKR 424

$2.42 ฿81.7

-36.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 PKR 317

$1.45 ฿48.88

-20.69%

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

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-5.49%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-12.92%

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

$100 PKR 27.7K

$62.2 ฿2,098

61.15%

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

$7.95 PKR 2,200

$12.17 ฿411

-34.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 PKR 4,561

$20.12 ฿679

-18.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.81 PKR 1,608

$37.31 ฿1,259

-84.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.46 PKR 2,063

$3.77 ฿127

97.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 PKR 894

$6.49 ฿219

-50.23%

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

$35.14 PKR 9,724

$736 ฿24.8K

-95.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.4K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-92.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.05 PKR 2,228

$53.4 ฿1,801

-84.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PKR 6,114

$24.64 ฿831

-10.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 PKR 9,402

$71.9 ฿2,427

-52.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

$482 ฿16.3K

-85.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$309 ฿10.4K

-83.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PKR 45.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-83.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 PKR 27.8K

$633 ฿21.4K

-84.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$386 PKR 106.9K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-83.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-86.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 PKR 75.8K

$590 ฿19.9K

-53.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 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

Quetta

$125 30.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.2% $30

Groceries & Markets

Quetta

$90 21.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 159% $144

Eating Out

Quetta

$64 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 21.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Quetta

$60 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 81.6% $49

Accommodation & Living

Quetta

$51 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 509% $258

Getting Around

Quetta

$13 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 375% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Quetta

$12 3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 310% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $71 in Quetta 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.2 times higher, 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 $11 in Quetta versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90 vs $234 – making Quetta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Quetta

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:08 12:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

2 h ahead of Quetta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,205

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 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).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quetta Chiang Mai 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Quetta
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 126% more than Quetta, 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 $622 per month in Quetta and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $71 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $35 per month in Quetta and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 159% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Quetta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Quetta. 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.