Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $627 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$627

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Tehran vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tehran $627
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Tehran vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tehran $1,074
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,521 per month in Tehran vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tehran $1,521
Chiang Mai $1,914

Tehran is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tehran and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 54% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 $3.84

$2.26 ฿75.4

69.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.95 $17.95

$19.18 ฿641

-6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.59 ฿187

-28.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$1.72 ฿57.6

-22.09%

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

$0.53 $0.53

$0.64 ฿21.54

-17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.33 ฿11.18

427.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$2.05 ฿68.6

-65.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 $0.58

$1.40 ฿46.70

-58.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.28 ฿42.89

169.53%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$2.25 ฿75.3

-45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$16.94 ฿566

-74.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.74 ฿91.6

26.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$9.36 ฿313

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.40 ฿80.3

-44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.01 ฿33.92

93.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.61 ฿53.9

-26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.52 ฿50.7

-55.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.28 ฿42.90

-57.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.11 ฿37.22

-54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 $0.53

$0.72 ฿24.09

-26.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.52 ฿17.54

-46.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.33 ฿145

-41.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.85 ฿28.31

-89.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 $5.66

$53.9 ฿1,801

-89.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.17 ฿39.18

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.57 ฿19.00

-49.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.37 ฿79.2

28.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.45 ฿48.32

-93.79%

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

$50.5K $50.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

146.77%

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

$44.2K $44.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

66.84%

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

$13.03 $13.03

$62.3 ฿2,083

-79.10%

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

$1.58 $1.58

$12.27 ฿410

-87.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.62 $3.62

$19.97 ฿668

-81.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.77 $24.77

$37.91 ฿1,267

-34.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 $13.60

$3.76 ฿126

261.70%

Cinema Ticket

$1.95 $1.95

$6.71 ฿224

-70.94%

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

$108 $108

$797 ฿26.6K

-86.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,628 $2,628

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-82.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.05 $27.05

$53.3 ฿1,780

-49.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 $37.32

$25.05 ฿837

48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$91.6 ฿3,062

28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$73.5 ฿2,455

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 $424

$464 ฿15.5K

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 $262

$305 ฿10.2K

-14.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$915 ฿30.6K

3.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 $625

$552 ฿18.5K

13.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 $1,247

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-34.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 $723

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-49.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$210 $210

$595 ฿19.9K

-64.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

5.57

345.06%

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

Last update for Tehran: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$262 41.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 16.4% $43

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$127 20.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 87.3% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 5.1% $5.9

Eating Out

Tehran

$68 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 16.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 79.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 419% $76

Getting Around

Tehran

$8 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 671% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Tehran versus $464 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 183% 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 $18.00 in Tehran versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $238 – making Tehran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Tehran Chiang Mai 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Tehran, 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 $940 per month in Tehran and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tehran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Tehran and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tehran, where all-in costs run around $627, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Tehran 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. Tehran costs $627 versus $938 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 Tehran. 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.