Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fallujah and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fallujah and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in Al Fallujah versus $926 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,055 in Al Fallujah versus $1,381 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Al Fallujah versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Al Fallujah costs roughly 23% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Fallujah 47% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 IQD 6,298

$2.10 ฿70.6

129.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 IQD 45.2K

$19.22 ฿645

79.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 IQD 9,950

$5.47 ฿184

38.94%

Cappuccino

$3.19 IQD 4,176

$1.69 ฿56.6

88.76%

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

$0.37 IQD 484

$0.65 ฿21.71

-43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 IQD 312

$0.31 ฿10.32

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 IQD 4,865

$2.32 ฿77.8

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 IQD 4,887

$3.91 ฿131

-4.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 IQD 1,366

$2.07 ฿69.3

-49.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 IQD 1,013

$1.53 ฿51.4

-49.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 IQD 2,072

$1.25 ฿41.93

26.40%

Eggs

$1.86 IQD 2,434

$2.19 ฿73.6

-15.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.81 IQD 4,993

$15.94 ฿535

-76.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 IQD 6,283

$2.76 ฿92.7

73.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 IQD 19.1K

$9.74 ฿327

49.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 IQD 1,535

$2.66 ฿89.1

-56.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,444

$1.05 ฿35.32

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,344

$1.66 ฿55.6

-37.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 IQD 1,036

$1.48 ฿49.49

-46.62%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 873

$1.21 ฿40.73

-44.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 846

$1.10 ฿36.95

-40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 837

$0.76 ฿25.50

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 864

$0.50 ฿16.66

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 IQD 2,350

$4.38 ฿147

-59.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 IQD 17.7K

$17.50 ฿587

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 IQD 2,904

$1.66 ฿55.7

33.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 IQD 2,861

$2.78 ฿93.2

-21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 ฿1,803

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 IQD 3,079

$1.22 ฿40.87

92.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 IQD 1,961

$0.56 ฿18.80

167.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

$2.34 ฿78.6

235.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 IQD 814

$1.45 ฿48.57

-57.24%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.8M

$21.1K ฿706.4K

-9.88%

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

$18.9K IQD 24.8M

$26.3K ฿882.3K

-28.01%

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

$211 IQD 276.3K

$63.6 ฿2,133

231.80%

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

$21.72 IQD 28.4K

$12.56 ฿422

72.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.22 IQD 54.0K

$20.04 ฿672

105.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.73 ฿1,299

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.80 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 IQD 13.8K

$6.47 ฿217

63.21%

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

$167 IQD 218.7K

$777 ฿26.1K

-78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,523 IQD 4.6M

$14.6K ฿489.1K

-75.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.18 IQD 38.2K

$55.2 ฿1,853

-47.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.70 IQD 49.4K

$24.77 ฿831

52.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 IQD 97.3K

$90.3 ฿3,029

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.05 IQD 61.6K

$73.5 ฿2,467

-36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ฿15.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 ฿9,601

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 ฿29.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 ฿17.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,978 ฿66.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.57

-26.03%

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

Last update for Al Fallujah: September 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Al Fallujah vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $238, with Al Fallujah 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

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

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,068 in Al Fallujah and $1,388 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.

Childcare runs $167 in Al Fallujah versus $777 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Fallujah – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $712 in Al Fallujah versus $926 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $712 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Fallujah 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 Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.