Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `alamayn and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al `alamayn: $414 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Al `alamayn, Egypt
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Al `alamayn
🇪🇬 Egypt
$414
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $414 in Al `alamayn versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

  • Al `alamayn $414
  • Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $666 in Al `alamayn versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

  • Al `alamayn $666
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $917 in Al `alamayn versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

  • Al `alamayn $917
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Al `alamayn costs roughly 56% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al `alamayn 69% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.54 E£251
$2.13 ฿72.0
113.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.08 E£723
$18.62 ฿628
-29.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.81 E£156
$5.60 ฿189
-49.82%
Cappuccino
$1.26 E£69.9
$1.66 ฿56.1
-24.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 E£18.87
$0.65 ฿21.83
-47.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 E£6.29
$0.30 ฿10.29
-63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.26 E£69.5
$2.32 ฿78.4
-45.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 E£147
$3.67 ฿124
-27.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 E£49.64
$2.02 ฿68.0
-55.45%
White Bread (500g)
$0.29 E£16.04
$1.41 ฿47.51
-79.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.53 E£29.53
$1.39 ฿46.96
-61.87%
Eggs
$1.32 E£72.7
$2.37 ฿79.9
-44.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.69 E£149
$16.52 ฿557
-83.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.87 E£214
$2.67 ฿90.1
44.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.09 E£392
$9.02 ฿304
-21.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.50 E£82.8
$2.40 ฿80.9
-37.50%
Banana (1kg)
$0.63 E£34.95
$1.04 ฿35.13
-39.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.45 E£25.02
$1.66 ฿56.0
-72.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.62
$1.56 ฿52.6
-79.49%
Potato (1kg)
$0.30 E£16.84
$1.24 ฿41.76
-75.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 E£21.66
$1.09 ฿36.66
-64.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.38 E£21.24
$0.76 ฿25.70
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.20 E£10.94
$0.51 ฿17.35
-60.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.94 E£107
$4.12 ฿139
-52.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.66 E£313
$17.93 ฿605
-68.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 E£61.4
$1.62 ฿54.8
-31.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 E£104
$2.82 ฿95.2
-33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 E£10.18
$0.93 ฿31.53
-80.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,785
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.32 E£17.74
$1.18 ฿39.70
-72.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 E£23.32
$0.17 ฿5.79
147.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 E£51.0
$1.81 ฿61.1
-49.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.38 E£20.75
$1.47 ฿49.69
-74.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K E£1.6M
$21.0K ฿708.9K
40.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K E£1.2M
$26.5K ฿894.6K
-18.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$20.47 E£1,132
$62.6 ฿2,111
-67.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.69 E£204
$11.60 ฿392
-68.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.03 E£444
$20.30 ฿685
-60.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.84 E£821
$37.88 ฿1,278
-60.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.70 ฿125
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.61 E£144
$6.51 ฿220
-59.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$29.27 E£1,618
$727 ฿24.5K
-95.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,748 E£96.7K
$16.6K ฿559.2K
-89.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.27 E£899
$53.5 ฿1,807
-69.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.86 E£2,259
$24.80 ฿837
64.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.5 E£5,223
$90.4 ฿3,050
4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.8 E£4,467
$72.0 ฿2,428
12.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$129 E£7,115
$481 ฿16.2K
-73.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$72.0 E£3,983
$310 ฿10.5K
-76.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$245 E£13.6K
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-76.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$135 E£7,486
$659 ฿22.2K
-79.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$722 E£39.9K
$2,418 ฿81.6K
-70.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$322 E£17.8K
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-79.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al `alamayn
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
26
5.57
366.79%

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

Last update for Al `alamayn: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Al `alamayn
$109
Chiang Mai
$237 117% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Al `alamayn
$105
Chiang Mai
$108 3.6% $3.7
Eating Out
Al `alamayn
$73
Chiang Mai
$77 4.4% $3.2
Accommodation & Living
Al `alamayn
$72
Chiang Mai
$310 330% $238
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al `alamayn
$32
Chiang Mai
$94 193% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Al `alamayn
$20
Chiang Mai
$51 154% $31
Getting Around
Al `alamayn
$3.2 *
Chiang Mai
$59 1751% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $129 in Al `alamayn and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Al `alamayn vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $109 vs $237 per month, with Al `alamayn cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Al `alamayn
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
21:47 9:47 PM
02:47 2:47 AM
5 h ahead of Al `alamayn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
7,400
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 55.29 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.83 EGP (100 EGP = 1.62 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al `alamayn Chiang Mai 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al `alamayn
  • 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
Al `alamayn vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al `alamayn cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Al `alamayn is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $621 in Al `alamayn and $1,403 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.
What is the rent difference between Al `alamayn and Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $129 in Al `alamayn versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Al `alamayn and in Chiang Mai?
Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Al `alamayn and in Chiang Mai?
All in, you’ll spend $414 per month in Al `alamayn versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Al `alamayn is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is it better to live in Al `alamayn or in Chiang Mai?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Al `alamayn vs other spots: cost of living compared

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