Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `arish and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `arish and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $462 in Al `arish versus $845 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Al `arish versus $1,323 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $993 in Al `arish versus $1,802 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Al `arish costs roughly 45% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al `arish 65% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 E£204

$1.95 ฿63.2

98.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.03 E£738

$18.43 ฿597

-23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 E£288

$7.50 ฿243

-26.93%

Cappuccino

$1.41 E£74.0

$1.93 ฿62.6

-26.94%

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

$0.41 E£21.62

$0.78 ฿25.22

-47.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.82

$0.32 ฿10.48

-53.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 E£66.6

$2.15 ฿69.6

-40.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 E£102

$3.71 ฿120

-47.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£48.84

$1.71 ฿55.5

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 E£24.59

$1.56 ฿50.6

-69.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 E£37.09

$1.18 ฿38.27

-39.83%

Eggs

$1.49 E£78.3

$1.98 ฿64.2

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.98 E£104

$16.04 ฿520

-87.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.09 E£215

$3.17 ฿103

29.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 E£435

$10.94 ฿355

-24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 E£76.6

$2.63 ฿85.1

-44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 E£31.43

$1.17 ฿37.82

-48.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.11

$1.65 ฿53.3

-76.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.85

$1.54 ฿49.78

-74.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.37

$1.38 ฿44.59

-63.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 E£27.71

$1.17 ฿37.75

-54.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 E£15.45

$0.66 ฿21.37

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£8.09

$0.51 ฿16.64

-70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 E£104

$4.52 ฿146

-56.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.29 E£226

$18.32 ฿594

-76.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 E£76.0

$1.80 ฿58.2

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 E£87.0

$3.18 ฿103

-48.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 E£9.01

$0.90 ฿29.13

-81.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 E£16.46

$1.41 ฿45.76

-78.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 E£12.03

$1.31 ฿42.39

-82.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 E£101

$8.09 ฿262

-76.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 E£17.36

$1.28 ฿41.31

-74.22%

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

$30.1K E£1.6M

$21.3K ฿689.9K

41.19%

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

$35.9K E£1.9M

$21.7K ฿703.2K

65.33%

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

$19.29 E£1,015

$69.2 ฿2,242

-72.12%

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

$7.42 E£390

$13.97 ฿453

-46.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 E£567

$17.95 ฿582

-40.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.96 E£1,155

$42.31 ฿1,371

-48.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 E£355

$5.92 ฿192

14.02%

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

$97.2 E£5,114

$299 ฿9,694

-67.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,652 E£139.5K

$14.8K ฿481.1K

-82.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.46 E£918

$56.2 ฿1,820

-68.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 E£3,279

$26.94 ฿873

131.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 E£4,392

$84.9 ฿2,750

-1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.8 E£2,725

$71.8 ฿2,327

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$191 E£10.1K

$435 ฿14.1K

-56.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.0 E£5,209

$240 ฿7,771

-58.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 E£16.3K

$798 ฿25.8K

-61.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 E£9,340

$498 ฿16.1K

-64.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$748 E£39.4K

$1,995 ฿64.6K

-62.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$397 E£20.9K

$1,532 ฿49.6K

-74.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.33

366.60%

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

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $191 in Al `arish and $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14 in Al `arish vs $18 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $113 vs $244 per month, with Al `arish cheaper across the board.

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 `arish vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $694 in Al `arish and $1,267 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: $191 in Al `arish versus $435 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $462 per month in Al `arish versus $845 in Chiang Mai – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Al `arish gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $462 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al `arish 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 Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.