Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,405 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
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Al Khobar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,405

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,405 in Al Khobar versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Al Khobar $1,405
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,186 in Al Khobar versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Al Khobar $2,186
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,967 in Al Khobar versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Al Khobar $2,967
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 50% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 4% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 SAR 24.51

$2.26 ฿75.4

188.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 SAR 222

$19.18 ฿641

208.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 SAR 29.50

$5.59 ฿187

40.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SAR 10.05

Cappuccino

$4.48 SAR 16.79

$1.72 ฿57.6

160.47%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$0.64 ฿21.54

35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 SAR 1.42

$0.33 ฿11.18

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$2.05 ฿68.6

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.40 ฿46.70

-8.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$1.28 ฿42.89

92.19%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.69

$2.25 ฿75.3

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.84

$16.94 ฿566

-57.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 SAR 38.43

$2.74 ฿91.6

273.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 SAR 43.86

$9.36 ฿313

24.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.83

$2.40 ฿80.3

9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$1.01 ฿33.92

74.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

$1.61 ฿53.9

22.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

$1.52 ฿50.7

16.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

$1.28 ฿42.90

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.11 ฿37.22

49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$0.72 ฿24.09

130.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.01

$0.52 ฿17.54

1.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 SAR 25.00

$4.33 ฿145

53.81%

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)

$0.73 SAR 2.75

$0.85 ฿28.31

-14.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SAR 252

$53.9 ฿1,801

24.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 SAR 12.14

$1.17 ฿39.18

176.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$0.57 ฿19.00

377.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$2.37 ฿79.2

173.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.45 ฿48.32

-56.55%

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

$66.3K SAR 248.6K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

223.57%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-15.01%

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

$99.6 SAR 374

$62.3 ฿2,083

59.75%

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

$33.32 SAR 125

$12.27 ฿410

171.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 SAR 265

$19.97 ฿668

253.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 SAR 308

$37.91 ฿1,267

116.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.23 SAR 140

$3.76 ฿126

890.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.07 SAR 56.6

$6.71 ฿224

124.59%

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

$589 SAR 2,210

$797 ฿26.6K

-26.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,524 SAR 32.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-42.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 SAR 233

$53.3 ฿1,780

16.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.0 SAR 312

$25.05 ฿837

231.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$91.6 ฿3,062

6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 SAR 352

$73.5 ฿2,455

27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 SAR 2,363

$464 ฿15.5K

35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SAR 1,873

$305 ฿10.2K

63.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 SAR 4,454

$915 ฿30.6K

29.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SAR 3,226

$552 ฿18.5K

55.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,020

$1,912 ฿63.9K

25.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 SAR 5,417

$1,438 ฿48.1K

0.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,829 SAR 6,864

$595 ฿19.9K

207.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.57

5.57%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 10, 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 Khobar

$499 35.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 39% $195

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$217 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 9.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$203 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 53.5% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 27.6% $42

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$135 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 41.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$112 8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 54.2% $61

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 29.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Al Khobar and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 207% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $238, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

4 h ahead of Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

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 18, 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 18, 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 Khobar Chiang Mai 5,050 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 207% higher in Al Khobar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $630 in Al Khobar versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 25% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $589 in Al Khobar versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,405 in Al Khobar, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar 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 50% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.