Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Chiang Mai $1,903

Shymkent is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Shymkent and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Shymkent 40% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$2.29 ฿76.5

391.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$19.64 ฿656

69.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$5.61 ฿188

15.86%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$1.66 ฿55.6

53.01%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$0.70 ฿23.40

47.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$0.31 ฿10.24

74.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$2.41 ฿80.4

-54.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$3.71 ฿124

-63.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.95 ฿65.3

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.41 ฿47.03

-70.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.31 ฿43.62

36.64%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.18 ฿72.9

-20.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$16.65 ฿556

-39.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$2.76 ฿92.2

90.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$9.11 ฿304

-1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$2.39 ฿80.0

-50.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$1.03 ฿34.26

105.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$1.63 ฿54.4

58.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$1.50 ฿50.0

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$1.29 ฿43.13

-57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.11 ฿37.03

-63.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$0.72 ฿24.08

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$0.53 ฿17.59

56.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$4.31 ฿144

-42.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$17.95 ฿600

-74.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.58 ฿52.9

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.84 ฿95.0

-46.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$0.86 ฿28.86

-83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.21 ฿40.29

-28.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$0.57 ฿18.99

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$2.35 ฿78.6

326.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$1.44 ฿47.96

-55.56%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

31.10%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

8.39%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-24.13%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$12.11 ฿405

-20.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$19.94 ฿666

-25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$37.07 ฿1,239

4.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$3.78 ฿126

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$6.50 ฿217

-12.62%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$793 ฿26.5K

-92.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$24.62 ฿823

37.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$90.9 ฿3,036

105.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$455 ฿15.2K

-25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$298 ฿9,954

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$908 ฿30.4K

-23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$554 ฿18.5K

-1.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-42.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-31.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$591 ฿19.7K

-25.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

5.57

227.65%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 46.4% $94

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 27.2% $50

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 49.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 22.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 31.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 0.2% $0.1

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1823% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Shymkent 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.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $33.00 in Shymkent versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Shymkent vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Shymkent wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

1 h ahead of Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

127,240

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Chiang Mai 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Shymkent, 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 $1,212 per month in Shymkent 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 Shymkent, 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 $33.00 in Shymkent and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Shymkent 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. Shymkent costs $808 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 Shymkent. 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.