Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $765 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Samara

🇷🇺 Russia

$765

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $765 per month in Samara vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samara $765
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,253 per month in Samara vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samara $1,253
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,741 per month in Samara vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Samara $1,741
Chiang Mai $1,903

Samara is about 17% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Samara and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Samara 44% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ₽716

$2.29 ฿76.5

274.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 ₽3,591

$19.64 ฿656

119.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₽435

$5.61 ฿188

-7.13%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₽192

$1.66 ฿55.6

38.55%

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

$1.14 ₽94.9

$0.70 ฿23.40

62.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₽43.42

$0.31 ฿10.24

67.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 ₽148

$2.41 ฿80.4

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₽248

$3.71 ฿124

-19.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₽104

$1.95 ฿65.3

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₽87.7

$1.41 ฿47.03

-25.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ₽135

$1.31 ฿43.62

23.66%

Eggs

$1.53 ₽128

$2.18 ฿72.9

-29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 ₽1,013

$16.65 ฿556

-27.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ₽590

$2.76 ฿92.2

156.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 ₽624

$9.11 ฿304

-18.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 ₽254

$2.39 ฿80.0

27.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ₽147

$1.03 ฿34.26

70.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 ₽337

$1.50 ฿50.0

169.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ₽68.9

$1.29 ฿43.13

-35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₽31.46

$1.11 ฿37.03

-65.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₽46.44

$0.53 ฿17.59

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₽210

$4.31 ฿144

-41.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽89.5

$1.58 ฿52.9

-32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.41

$0.86 ฿28.86

-46.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 ₽309

$1.21 ฿40.29

205.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ₽308

$2.35 ฿78.6

57.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 ₽72.9

$1.44 ฿47.96

-39.58%

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

$51.7K ₽4.3M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

149.56%

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

$41.2K ₽3.4M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

53.65%

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

$140 ₽11.7K

$62.3 ฿2,083

125.06%

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

$4.73 ₽395

$12.11 ฿405

-60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.93 ₽1,163

$19.94 ฿666

-30.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.07 ₽3,511

$37.07 ฿1,239

13.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 ₽1,832

$3.78 ฿126

480.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ₽997

$6.50 ฿217

83.85%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$146 ₽12.1K

$53.7 ฿1,796

170.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.9 ₽6,587

$24.62 ฿823

220.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 ₽13.2K

$90.9 ฿3,036

73.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 ₽7,176

$71.1 ฿2,378

20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,443 ₽203.9K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

26.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,601 ₽133.6K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

10.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.03

5.57

349.37%

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

Last update for Samara: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$211 27.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 48.7% $102

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$191 * 25%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 23.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$159 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 40.6% $65

Eating Out

Samara

$133 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 41% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$66 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 24.1% $16

Getting Around

Samara

$5.5 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 997% $55

Accommodation & Living

Samara

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Samara versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Samara vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Samara wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Samara

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

18:39 6:39 PM

3 h ahead of Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,163,645

127,240

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Samara Chiang Mai 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Samara
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Chiang Mai costs about 21% more than Samara, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,148 per month in Samara and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $765 in Samara and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 21%.

Groceries cost about 23% 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 Samara, where all-in costs run around $765, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Samara 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. Samara costs $765 versus $925 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 Samara. 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.