Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,198 in Ad Dammam, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,198

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,198 in Ad Dammam versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Ad Dammam $1,198
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Ad Dammam versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Ad Dammam $1,835
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,471 in Ad Dammam versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Ad Dammam $2,471
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Ad Dammam is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 11% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.24 SAR 27.17

$2.26 ฿75.4

220.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.15 SAR 132

$19.18 ฿641

83.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 SAR 24.89

$5.59 ฿187

18.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

Cappuccino

$3.06 SAR 11.48

$1.72 ฿57.6

77.91%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.64 ฿21.54

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.72

$0.33 ฿11.18

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$2.05 ฿68.6

-11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 5.00

$1.40 ฿46.70

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 SAR 7.26

$1.28 ฿42.89

50.78%

Eggs

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.25 ฿75.3

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 SAR 28.21

$16.94 ฿566

-55.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.28

$2.74 ฿91.6

194.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 SAR 47.89

$9.36 ฿313

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

$2.40 ฿80.3

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.01 ฿33.92

64.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.61 ฿53.9

2.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

$1.52 ฿50.7

5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.28 ฿42.90

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 SAR 4.48

$1.11 ฿37.22

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$0.72 ฿24.09

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.14

$0.52 ฿17.54

9.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.07 SAR 15.26

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.30

$4.33 ฿145

74.13%

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)

$0.92 SAR 3.44

$0.85 ฿28.31

8.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.31 SAR 132

$53.9 ฿1,801

-34.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

$1.17 ฿39.18

121.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$0.57 ฿19.00

361.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.69

$2.37 ฿79.2

458.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.45 ฿48.32

-58.62%

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

$65.8K SAR 247.1K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

221.55%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.8K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-20.77%

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

$130 SAR 486

$62.3 ฿2,083

107.96%

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

$33.20 SAR 125

$12.27 ฿410

170.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 SAR 233

$19.97 ฿668

211.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.1 SAR 289

$37.91 ฿1,267

103.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 SAR 105

$3.76 ฿126

643.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 SAR 50.5

$6.71 ฿224

100.75%

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

$414 SAR 1,555

$797 ฿26.6K

-48.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,796 SAR 29.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-47.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.50 SAR 156

$53.3 ฿1,780

-22.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.82 SAR 183

$25.05 ฿837

94.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 SAR 355

$91.6 ฿3,062

3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 SAR 343

$73.5 ฿2,455

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$580 SAR 2,176

$464 ฿15.5K

24.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 SAR 1,388

$305 ฿10.2K

21.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 SAR 3,760

$915 ฿30.6K

9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 SAR 2,539

$552 ฿18.5K

22.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,405 SAR 5,271

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-26.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$604 SAR 2,268

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-57.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,487 SAR 5,581

$595 ฿19.9K

149.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: 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

Ad Dammam

$370 30.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 17.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$225 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 58% $130

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$202 16.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 17.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$124 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 11.9% $15

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$118 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 33.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$104 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 50.7% $53

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$55 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 12.1% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $580 in Ad Dammam and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 150% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ad Dammam vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $238, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

4 h ahead of Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ad Dammam Chiang Mai 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ad Dammam
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

Ad Dammam vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ad Dammam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 150% higher in Ad Dammam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $580 in Ad Dammam versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,198 per month in Ad Dammam versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 53% less than in Ad Dammam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,198 in Ad Dammam, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Ad Dammam. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ad Dammam and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Ad Dammam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.