Cost of Living Comparison Between Ait Melloul and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ait Melloul and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $679 in Ait Melloul versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,068 in Ait Melloul versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,457 in Ait Melloul versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Ait Melloul costs roughly 29% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ait Melloul 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 MAD 35.85

$2.10 ฿69.3

81.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.21 MAD 237

$19.84 ฿656

27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MAD 59.2

$5.79 ฿191

8.81%

Cappuccino

$2.19 MAD 20.62

$1.83 ฿60.4

19.67%

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

$0.91 MAD 8.60

$0.78 ฿25.61

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.50

$0.31 ฿10.37

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 MAD 49.03

$2.34 ฿77.2

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 MAD 43.89

$3.70 ฿122

26.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 MAD 7.85

$2.03 ฿67.1

-58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 MAD 5.13

$1.60 ฿52.7

-65.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MAD 14.56

$1.42 ฿46.75

9.15%

Eggs

$1.73 MAD 16.26

$2.18 ฿71.9

-20.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 MAD 76.9

$15.91 ฿526

-48.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 MAD 51.1

$3.07 ฿102

77.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 MAD 112

$9.87 ฿326

20.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.30 MAD 12.19

$2.63 ฿86.8

-50.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 MAD 11.51

$1.10 ฿36.19

11.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 MAD 8.71

$1.63 ฿53.8

-42.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 6.98

$1.53 ฿50.6

-51.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.09

$1.24 ฿41.13

-39.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MAD 7.90

$1.13 ฿37.37

-25.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.26 MAD 2.46

$0.74 ฿24.38

-64.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.28

$0.50 ฿16.48

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 MAD 39.71

$4.28 ฿141

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 MAD 76.7

$17.97 ฿594

-54.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MAD 22.52

$1.70 ฿56.1

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MAD 31.87

$2.90 ฿95.7

16.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MAD 4.96

$0.94 ฿31.13

-43.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.61 MAD 194

$55.3 ฿1,827

-62.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 MAD 5.91

$1.23 ฿40.76

-48.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 5.86

$0.53 ฿17.66

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 MAD 68.7

$2.40 ฿79.3

204.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MAD 14.08

$1.44 ฿47.55

4.17%

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

$35.5K MAD 333.8K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

67.61%

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

$30.9K MAD 290.7K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

13.28%

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

$24.94 MAD 234

$64.9 ฿2,145

-61.59%

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

$9.62 MAD 90.4

$13.35 ฿441

-27.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 MAD 288

$20.83 ฿688

47.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.77 MAD 223

$40.42 ฿1,336

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.72 MAD 223

$3.95 ฿131

500.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 MAD 50.4

$6.71 ฿222

-20.12%

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

$73.0 MAD 686

$787 ฿26.0K

-90.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,878 MAD 17.6K

$15.1K ฿499.6K

-87.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.13 MAD 311

$56.2 ฿1,858

-41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 MAD 418

$24.95 ฿824

78.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.3 MAD 566

$92.7 ฿3,063

-35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.41 MAD 446

$75.1 ฿2,482

-36.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 MAD 2,656

$484 ฿16.0K

-41.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 MAD 1,433

$287 ฿9,491

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 MAD 4,524

$910 ฿30.1K

-47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 MAD 2,274

$531 ฿17.5K

-54.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,180 MAD 11.1K

$1,980 ฿65.4K

-40.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$918 MAD 8,630

$1,451 ฿47.9K

-36.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Ait Melloul: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Ait Melloul and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ait Melloul vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $182 vs $242, with Ait Melloul cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ait Melloul vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,018 in Ait Melloul and $1,426 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Ait Melloul versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $73.0 in Ait Melloul versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Ait Melloul versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ait Melloul but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ait Melloul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ait Melloul is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ait Melloul 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 Ait Melloul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.