Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Hufuf and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,133 in Al Hufuf, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Al Hufuf
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Al Hufuf Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Al Hufuf

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,133

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Al Hufuf vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Hufuf $1,133
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,708 per month in Al Hufuf vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Hufuf $1,708
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,283 per month in Al Hufuf vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Hufuf $2,283
Chiang Mai $1,914

Al Hufuf costs about 21% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Al Hufuf and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Al Hufuf 16% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 SAR 24.97

$2.26 ฿75.4

194.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SAR 202

$19.18 ฿641

180.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 SAR 26.25

$5.59 ฿187

25.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.17

Cappuccino

$3.92 SAR 14.71

$1.72 ฿57.6

127.91%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.33 ฿11.18

-30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$2.05 ฿68.6

-13.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

$1.40 ฿46.70

-40.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$1.28 ฿42.89

85.16%

Eggs

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.25 ฿75.3

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.69 SAR 25.09

$16.94 ฿566

-60.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 SAR 23.65

$2.74 ฿91.6

129.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 SAR 57.2

$9.36 ฿313

62.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$2.40 ฿80.3

-31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.67

$1.01 ฿33.92

76.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

$1.61 ฿53.9

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.52 ฿50.7

-31.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$1.28 ฿42.90

-17.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SAR 2.95

$1.11 ฿37.22

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$0.72 ฿24.09

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$0.52 ฿17.54

13.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SAR 8.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SAR 25.73

$4.33 ฿145

58.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.85 ฿28.31

22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.12 SAR 136

$53.9 ฿1,801

-32.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 SAR 11.81

$1.17 ฿39.18

169.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$0.57 ฿19.00

229.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$2.37 ฿79.2

466.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.45 ฿48.32

-59.31%

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

$34.7K SAR 130.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

69.60%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-15.39%

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

$109 SAR 408

$62.3 ฿2,083

74.22%

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

$29.33 SAR 110

$12.27 ฿410

139.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 SAR 268

$19.97 ฿668

258.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 SAR 411

$37.91 ฿1,267

189.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 SAR 49.63

$6.71 ฿224

97.17%

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

$526 SAR 1,973

$797 ฿26.6K

-34.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.9K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.05 SAR 64.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

-67.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.58 SAR 69.7

$25.05 ฿837

-25.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.32 SAR 163

$91.6 ฿3,062

-52.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.92 SAR 120

$73.5 ฿2,455

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,187

$464 ฿15.5K

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 SAR 1,400

$305 ฿10.2K

22.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SAR 3,133

$915 ฿30.6K

-8.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$552 ฿18.5K

3.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,347 SAR 8,806

$1,912 ฿63.9K

22.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,354 SAR 5,081

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-5.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,347 SAR 8,808

$595 ฿19.9K

294.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Al Hufuf: October 13, 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 Hufuf

$373 32.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 18.4% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Hufuf

$209 18.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 54.8% $115

Groceries & Markets

Al Hufuf

$187 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 27.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Al Hufuf

$136 12%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 62.3% $85

Eating Out

Al Hufuf

$125 11%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 36.7% $46

Getting Around

Al Hufuf

$53 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 16% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Al Hufuf

$50 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 120% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $583 in Al Hufuf versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 294% higher in Al Hufuf, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Al Hufuf versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Al Hufuf vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Al Hufuf wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Hufuf

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

13:35 1:35 PM

4 h ahead of Al Hufuf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,788

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Al Hufuf Chiang Mai 5,110 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Al Hufuf is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Al Hufuf and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Al Hufuf and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,133 in Al Hufuf and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Al Hufuf at $1,133. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al Hufuf it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al Hufuf makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.