Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,774 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,375 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Al-hawiyah is roughly 24% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 15% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$2.08 ฿69.2

225.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.01 SAR 139

$19.64 ฿651

88.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 SAR 29.45

$5.65 ฿188

38.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Cappuccino

$3.43 SAR 12.87

$1.81 ฿59.9

89.50%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.06

$0.71 ฿23.66

15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.32 ฿10.48

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿74.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.96 ฿65.0

-11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.81

$1.50 ฿49.83

-32.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$1.34 ฿44.32

58.96%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.76

$2.26 ฿75.1

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 SAR 28.23

$16.26 ฿539

-53.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 SAR 29.48

$2.95 ฿98.0

166.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.92

$9.94 ฿330

31.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.03

$2.57 ฿85.3

-16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$1.06 ฿35.04

52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$1.61 ฿53.5

-1.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$1.52 ฿50.4

5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.31

$1.27 ฿42.14

-9.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$1.07 ฿35.37

21.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$0.72 ฿23.89

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.51 ฿16.87

15.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$4.19 ฿139

54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿94.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.93 ฿30.70

16.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.32 SAR 133

$53.9 ฿1,787

-34.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 SAR 11.15

$1.23 ฿40.95

141.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$0.58 ฿19.13

206.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.33

$2.42 ฿80.4

442.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.41 ฿46.84

-53.90%

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

$44.6K SAR 167.6K

$21.4K ฿711.3K

108.16%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$27.3K ฿906.7K

-22.12%

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

$103 SAR 387

$63.7 ฿2,112

61.68%

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

$32.87 SAR 123

$12.85 ฿426

155.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 SAR 245

$20.22 ฿671

222.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 310

$38.74 ฿1,285

113.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 SAR 141

$3.97 ฿132

844.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$6.74 ฿223

99.11%

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

$347 SAR 1,303

$778 ฿25.8K

-55.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,759 SAR 25.4K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-53.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 SAR 187

$54.3 ฿1,801

-8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 SAR 223

$25.45 ฿844

133.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 SAR 367

$94.3 ฿3,129

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$73.4 ฿2,436

18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,149

$490 ฿16.2K

16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$289 ฿9,596

18.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 SAR 3,306

$894 ฿29.6K

-1.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 SAR 2,067

$517 ฿17.1K

6.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 SAR 8,667

$1,955 ฿64.9K

18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 SAR 5,210

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-6.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Al-hawiyah and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $240, with Al-hawiyah 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-hawiyah vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Chiang Mai differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,172 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,759 in Al-hawiyah and $1,421 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: $572 in Al-hawiyah versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $37.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,172 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $947 in Chiang Mai – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $1,172 in Al-hawiyah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Al-hawiyah. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Al-hawiyah 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.