Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Budayyi and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Budayyi: $125 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Budayyi

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$125

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $125 in Al Budayyi versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Al Budayyi $125
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $135 in Al Budayyi versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Al Budayyi $135
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $144 in Al Budayyi versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Al Budayyi $144
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Al Budayyi costs roughly 87% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Budayyi 91% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.7

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿644

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.9

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

$0.64 ฿21.63

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.90

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.07

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿569

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿92.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.06

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.08

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.38

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.19

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,809

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.52

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

$20.5K ฿687.1K

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

$26.5K ฿889.8K

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

$62.3 ฿2,092

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

$19.81 BHD 7.48

$12.27 ฿412

61.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$105 BHD 39.56

$19.97 ฿670

424.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

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

$797 ฿26.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,787

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿841

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,075

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,465

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.3K

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 Budayyi: 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

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Groceries & Markets

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Eating Out

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Getting Around

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Al Budayyi

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Good to know

🇧🇭 Al Budayyi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

4 h ahead of Al Budayyi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇭 Bahraini Dinar (.د.ب)

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 33.56 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BHD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al Budayyi Chiang Mai 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al Budayyi wins on cost – living expenses run 653% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Budayyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $187 in Al Budayyi and $1,408 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.

At $125 in Al Budayyi versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Budayyi but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Budayyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Budayyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $125 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Budayyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Budayyi 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 Budayyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 653% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.