Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Mubarraz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
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Al Mubarraz Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,251

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,251 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,251
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,894 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $1,894
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $2,538 per month in Al Mubarraz vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Al Mubarraz $2,538
Chiang Mai $1,999

Al Mubarraz costs about 34% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Al Mubarraz and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Al Mubarraz 7% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 SAR 27.64

$2.13 ฿72.0

245.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 SAR 137

$18.62 ฿628

96.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.03

$5.60 ฿189

42.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cappuccino

$4.47 SAR 16.76

$1.66 ฿56.1

169.28%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.52

$0.65 ฿21.82

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.30 ฿10.29

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.02 ฿68.0

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.41 ฿47.49

-5.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.27

$1.39 ฿46.94

77.70%

Eggs

$2.99 SAR 11.21

$2.37 ฿79.9

26.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 SAR 39.90

$16.52 ฿557

-35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 SAR 36.01

$2.67 ฿90.1

259.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 SAR 56.3

$9.02 ฿304

66.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 SAR 10.98

$2.40 ฿80.9

22.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$1.04 ฿35.12

80.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 SAR 9.41

$1.66 ฿56.0

51.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.56 ฿52.6

14.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.38

$1.24 ฿41.75

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.09 ฿36.65

22.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

$0.76 ฿25.70

131.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.17

$0.51 ฿17.34

13.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.59 SAR 28.48

$4.12 ฿139

84.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$0.93 ฿31.52

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.07 SAR 120

$52.9 ฿1,784

-39.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 SAR 12.27

$1.18 ฿39.69

177.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$0.17 ฿5.78

1011.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.53 SAR 50.8

$1.81 ฿61.1

647.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.47 ฿49.67

-56.46%

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

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

$21.0K ฿708.7K

25.18%

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

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

$26.5K ฿894.4K

-17.78%

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

$107 SAR 402

$62.6 ฿2,110

71.02%

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

$29.24 SAR 110

$11.60 ฿391

152.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 SAR 264

$20.30 ฿685

246.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.5 SAR 295

$37.88 ฿1,278

107.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 SAR 51.3

$6.51 ฿220

110.14%

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

$552 SAR 2,073

$727 ฿24.5K

-24.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K SAR 62.0K

$16.6K ฿559.0K

-0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 SAR 216

$53.5 ฿1,806

7.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 SAR 205

$24.80 ฿836

120.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SAR 386

$90.4 ฿3,049

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 392

$72.0 ฿2,428

44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 SAR 2,092

$481 ฿16.2K

15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 SAR 1,363

$310 ฿10.5K

17.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$914 SAR 3,432

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 SAR 2,293

$659 ฿22.2K

-7.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,728 SAR 6,485

$2,418 ฿81.5K

-28.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 SAR 4,289

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-28.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,069 SAR 4,011

$595 ฿20.1K

79.64%

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 Mubarraz: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al Mubarraz

$363 29%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 14.6% $53

Groceries & Markets

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 2.3% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Mubarraz

$207 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 54.3% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Al Mubarraz

$144 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 24.6% $35

Eating Out

Al Mubarraz

$140 11.2%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 45.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Al Mubarraz

$106 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 51.9% $55

Getting Around

Al Mubarraz

$49 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 20.1% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Al Mubarraz versus $481 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 80% higher in Al Mubarraz. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Al Mubarraz versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

14:21 2:21 PM

4 h ahead of Al Mubarraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

290,802

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Mubarraz Chiang Mai 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, $935 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,876 per month in Al Mubarraz and $1,403 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $557 in Al Mubarraz.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Al Mubarraz and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Al Mubarraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,251 in Al Mubarraz and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,251 in Al Mubarraz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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