✦ Compare
Bishkek vs
Chiang Mai
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Chiang Mai, TH, you'd need
$140,672 / year
Chiang Mai, TH is 88% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Chiang Mai, TH vs Bishkek, KG)
- Housing+133%
- Food & groceries+50%
- Transport+73%
- Utilities+63%
- Healthcare+120%
- Goods & services+83%
▤ Full comparison
| Bishkek, KG | Chiang Mai, TH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 26 | 49 |
| Housing | 18 | 42 |
| Food | 30 | 45 |
| Transport | 22 | 38 |
| Utilities | 40 | 65 |
| Healthcare | 25 | 55 |
| Goods & services | 30 | 55 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $350/mo | $450/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $220/mo | $300/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $700/mo | $900/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $900 | $1,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $3,862 | $2,059 |
| Inexpensive meal | $4 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $12 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 10% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 12% | 7% |
| Social security (employee) | 10% | — |
| Corporate tax | 10% | 20% |
| Capital gains | 10% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $430/mo | $800/mo |
| Minimum wage | $40/mo | $300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $3,081 | $8,057 |
| Inflation (annual) | 8.2% | -0.1% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Low | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 8 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+6 | UTC+7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 62 | 65 |
| Healthcare index | 45 | 70 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 70 |
| Internet speed | 45 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 60 | 45 |
| Public transport | 45 | 30 |
| Family-friendly | 60 | 62 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Use caution |
| Health insurance | $40/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 72 yr | 77 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Low | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -2 °C | +22 °C |
| July avg | +25 °C | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 322 | 240 |
| Rainfall / year | 450 mm | 1,150 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 4 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Kyrgyzstan vs Thailand. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Bishkek to Chiang Mai: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Bishkek to Chiang Mai, your cost of living will be roughly 88% more expensive. Chiang Mai’s cost-of-living index is 49 versus 26 for Bishkek (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Bishkek cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is about 88% more expensive than Bishkek overall — its cost-of-living index is 49 versus 26 for Bishkek.
How much do you need to earn in Chiang Mai to live like in Bishkek?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bishkek is worth about $140,672 in Chiang Mai. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Bishkek or Chiang Mai?
Kyrgyzstan has the lower top income-tax rate — 10% versus 35% in Thailand.
◷ More comparisons from Bishkek
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.