Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zanjan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Zanjan: $428 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Zanjan
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Zanjan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Zanjan

🇮🇷 Iran

$428

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $428 per month in Zanjan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanjan $428
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $768 per month in Zanjan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanjan $768
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,108 per month in Zanjan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Zanjan $1,108
Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Both Zanjan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Zanjan 69% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$2.24 ฿75.6

37.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.14 $13.14

$19.00 ฿641

-30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 $3.03

$5.55 ฿187

-45.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.67 $0.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

Cappuccino

$0.92 $0.92

$1.67 ฿56.5

-44.91%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.64 ฿21.55

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.31 ฿10.31

280.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.95 ฿65.8

-64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.44 ฿48.48

-60.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.33 ฿45.04

140.60%

Eggs

$1.23 $1.23

$2.28 ฿77.1

-46.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$16.45 ฿555

-72.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.78 ฿93.9

17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 $9.09

$9.31 ฿314

-2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.35 ฿79.4

-54.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.97 ฿32.80

56.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.60 ฿53.9

-48.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.50 ฿50.6

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.28 ฿43.12

-58.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.10 ฿37.19

-57.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 $0.40

$0.71 ฿23.82

-43.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.49 ฿16.37

-51.02%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.73 $0.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 $1.73

$4.14 ฿140

-58.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 $0.19

$0.87 ฿29.31

-78.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 $9.85

$54.1 ฿1,826

-81.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.16 ฿39.06

-73.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.53 ฿17.80

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.42 ฿81.8

-57.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 $0.03

$1.45 ฿48.90

-97.93%

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

$49.9K $49.9K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

136.80%

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

$46.7K $46.7K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

73.18%

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

$13.19 $13.19

$62.2 ฿2,098

-78.78%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$12.17 ฿411

-87.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.00 $4.00

$20.12 ฿679

-80.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.35 $12.35

$37.31 ฿1,259

-66.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.66 $12.66

$3.77 ฿127

235.81%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$6.49 ฿219

-68.57%

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

$106 $106

$736 ฿24.8K

-85.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,544 $2,544

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-82.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 $26.95

$53.4 ฿1,801

-49.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 $37.23

$24.64 ฿831

51.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$91.5 ฿3,087

28.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 $74.3

$71.9 ฿2,428

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 $136

$482 ฿16.3K

-71.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 $99.0

$309 ฿10.4K

-67.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 $384

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$633 ฿21.4K

-50.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$809 $809

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-65.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$473 $473

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-70.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 $285

$590 ฿19.9K

-51.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

312.93%

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

Last update for Zanjan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

Zanjan

$115 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 5.8% $6.6

Groceries & Markets

Zanjan

$115 26.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 104% $120

Accommodation & Living

Zanjan

$99 23.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 212% $210

Eating Out

Zanjan

$51 12%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 50.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zanjan

$19 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 404% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Zanjan

$16 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 206% $34

Getting Around

Zanjan

$13 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 391% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Zanjan versus $482 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $13 in Zanjan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $234 – making Zanjan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Zanjan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:42 11:42 AM

15:12 3:12 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of Zanjan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,851

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zanjan Chiang Mai 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Zanjan
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 119% more than Zanjan, 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 $642 per month in Zanjan and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zanjan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $106 per month in Zanjan and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Zanjan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Zanjan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.