Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
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Skardu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Skardu vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skardu $426
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $636 per month in Skardu vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skardu $636
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $847 per month in Skardu vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Skardu $847
Chiang Mai $1,903

Skardu is about 54% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Skardu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Skardu 69% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 PKR 509

$2.29 ฿76.5

-19.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.31 PKR 3,132

$19.64 ฿656

-42.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 PKR 1,286

$5.61 ฿188

-17.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 753

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,415

Cappuccino

$1.68 PKR 464

$1.66 ฿55.6

1.20%

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

$0.31 PKR 84.5

$0.70 ฿23.40

-55.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 PKR 50.3

$0.31 ฿10.24

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.95 ฿65.3

-55.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 164

$1.41 ฿47.03

-58.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 320

$1.31 ฿43.62

-11.45%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 333

$2.18 ฿72.9

-44.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 PKR 1,494

$16.65 ฿556

-67.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 PKR 691

$2.76 ฿92.2

-9.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,389

$9.11 ฿304

-44.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 PKR 305

$2.39 ฿80.0

-53.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.03 ฿34.26

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 PKR 220

$1.63 ฿54.4

-51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.50 ฿50.0

-63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 76.3

$1.29 ฿43.13

-78.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 97.5

$1.11 ฿37.03

-68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 PKR 127

$0.72 ฿24.08

-36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 104

$0.53 ฿17.59

-28.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.59 PKR 441

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 PKR 580

$4.31 ฿144

-51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.37

$0.86 ฿28.86

-81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.06 PKR 2,509

$53.3 ฿1,780

-83.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 343

$1.21 ฿40.29

2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.57 ฿18.99

24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 PKR 506

$2.35 ฿78.6

-22.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.44 ฿47.96

-18.06%

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

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-8.06%

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

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.16%

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

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

$62.3 ฿2,083

40.90%

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

$3.60 PKR 996

$12.11 ฿405

-70.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.36 PKR 3,697

$19.94 ฿666

-33.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.33 PKR 4,243

$37.07 ฿1,239

-58.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.98 PKR 2,208

$3.78 ฿126

111.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 PKR 1,351

$6.50 ฿217

-24.92%

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

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

$793 ฿26.5K

-93.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-92.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.16 PKR 5,304

$53.7 ฿1,796

-64.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 PKR 6,793

$24.62 ฿823

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-34.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.15 PKR 9,451

$71.1 ฿2,378

-52.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$128 PKR 35.4K

$455 ฿15.2K

-71.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

$298 ฿9,954

-73.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.3K

$908 ฿30.4K

-72.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.4K

$554 ฿18.5K

-74.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-44.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$494 PKR 136.8K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-65.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

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 Skardu: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Skardu

$105 24.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 9.9% $10

Groceries & Markets

Skardu

$90 21.2%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 161% $145

Accommodation & Living

Skardu

$78 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 281% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Skardu

$62 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 74.8% $46

Eating Out

Skardu

$51 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 54.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Skardu

$25 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 99.5% $25

Getting Around

Skardu

$15 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 319% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Skardu 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 $11.00 in Skardu versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90.0 vs $235 – making Skardu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Skardu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

20:17 8:17 PM

2 h ahead of Skardu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

260,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Skardu Chiang Mai 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Skardu
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 117% more than Skardu, 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 $638 per month in Skardu 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 Skardu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $47.71 per month in Skardu and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 161% 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 Skardu, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Skardu 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. Skardu costs $426 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 Skardu. 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.