Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Bayda and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Bayda: $10.38 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Al Bayda

🇱🇾 Libya

$10.38

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $10.38 in Al Bayda versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Al Bayda $10.38
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $16.02 in Al Bayda versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Al Bayda $16.02
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $22 in Al Bayda versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Al Bayda $22
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Al Bayda costs roughly 99% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Bayda 99% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 LYD 10.24

$1.39 ฿46.79

15.11%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

Tomato (1kg)

$0.32 LYD 2.08

$1.56 ฿52.4

-79.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.11

$1.24 ฿41.61

-60.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 LYD 2.89

$1.09 ฿36.53

-58.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

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

$14.0K LYD 89.7K

$26.5K ฿891.4K

-47.18%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

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

$11.60 ฿390

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Al Bayda: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Bayda

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Good to know

🇱🇾 Al Bayda

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

00:37 12:37 AM

5 h ahead of Al Bayda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

310,329

127,240

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Bayda Chiang Mai 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Bayda
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 Bayda vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $15.57 in Al Bayda 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2180% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $10.38 per month in Al Bayda versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.