Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serov and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,074 in Serov, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Serov
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Serov Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Serov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Serov vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serov $1,074
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,647 per month in Serov vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serov $1,647
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,219 per month in Serov vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Serov $2,219
Chiang Mai $1,903

Serov costs about 16% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Serov and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Serov 21% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ₽814

$2.29 ฿76.5

326.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.37 ₽2,869

$19.64 ฿656

75.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.89 ₽492

$5.61 ฿188

4.99%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₽211

$1.66 ฿55.6

52.41%

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

$1.02 ₽85.0

$0.70 ฿23.40

45.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₽50.8

$0.31 ฿10.24

96.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₽161

$2.41 ฿80.4

-19.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₽256

$3.71 ฿124

-17.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ₽109

$1.95 ฿65.3

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₽65.2

$1.41 ฿47.03

-44.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ₽103

$1.31 ฿43.62

-6.11%

Eggs

$1.63 ₽136

$2.18 ฿72.9

-25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 ₽1,054

$16.65 ฿556

-24.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 ₽420

$2.76 ฿92.2

82.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 ₽860

$9.11 ฿304

13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₽156

$2.39 ฿80.0

-21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽149

$1.03 ฿34.26

73.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ₽151

$1.63 ฿54.4

11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 ₽260

$1.50 ฿50.0

108.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ₽60.5

$1.29 ฿43.13

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₽46.63

$1.11 ฿37.03

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ₽113

$0.72 ฿24.08

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₽58.9

$0.53 ฿17.59

33.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₽272

$4.31 ฿144

-24.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 ₽631

$17.95 ฿600

-57.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₽85.9

$1.58 ฿52.9

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₽145

$2.84 ฿95.0

-38.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ₽51.6

$0.86 ฿28.86

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 ₽229

$1.21 ฿40.29

126.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ₽33.28

$0.57 ฿18.99

-29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ₽430

$2.35 ฿78.6

119.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₽60.1

$1.44 ฿47.96

-50.00%

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

$55.9K ₽4.7M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

169.52%

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

$44.7K ₽3.7M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

66.73%

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

$124 ₽10.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

99.01%

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

$5.67 ₽473

$12.11 ฿405

-53.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.30 ₽609

$19.94 ฿666

-63.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 ₽3,041

$37.07 ฿1,239

-1.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.15 ₽2,016

$3.78 ฿126

538.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 ₽582

$6.50 ฿217

7.23%

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

$371 ₽30.9K

$793 ฿26.5K

-53.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,911 ₽576.8K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-53.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 ₽6,238

$53.7 ฿1,796

39.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 ₽3,956

$24.62 ฿823

92.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 ₽11.0K

$90.9 ฿3,036

45.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 ₽8,045

$71.1 ฿2,378

35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₽33.8K

$455 ฿15.2K

-11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₽30.3K

$298 ฿9,954

22.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 ₽74.6K

$908 ฿30.4K

-1.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 ₽52.0K

$554 ฿18.5K

12.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,348 ₽196.0K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

21.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,629 ₽135.9K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

12.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.45

5.57

285.10%

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

Last update for Serov: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serov

$364 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 18.1% $66

Groceries & Markets

Serov

$210 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 12.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Serov

$158 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 31.4% $50

Eating Out

Serov

$148 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 47% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serov

$137 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 31.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Serov

$50 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 0.6% $0.3

Getting Around

Serov

$7.2 * 0.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 743% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Serov versus $455 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 $34.00 in Serov versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Serov vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Serov wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Serov

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h ahead of Serov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,366

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 23, 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 23, 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

Serov Chiang Mai 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Serov
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

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

Serov costs about 16% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,611 per month in Serov and $1,388 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Serov and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Serov – 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 $925, than in Serov at $1,074. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Serov it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,074 in Serov. 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, Serov makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.