Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Rumaitha and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Al-Rumaitha $650
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Al-Rumaitha $1,027
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Al-Rumaitha $1,403
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Al-Rumaitha costs roughly 31% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-Rumaitha 52% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 IQD 5,465

$2.26 ฿75.4

60.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

$19.18 ฿641

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

$5.59 ฿187

26.65%

Cappuccino

$2.33 IQD 3,523

$1.72 ฿57.6

35.47%

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

$0.31 IQD 471

$0.64 ฿21.54

-51.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 286

$0.33 ฿11.18

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 IQD 4,398

$2.36 ฿78.7

23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 IQD 3,936

$3.90 ฿130

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 IQD 1,298

$2.05 ฿68.6

-58.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,185

$1.40 ฿46.70

-44.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,063

$1.28 ฿42.89

7.03%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,392

$2.25 ฿75.3

-29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 IQD 6,174

$16.94 ฿566

-75.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 IQD 5,449

$2.74 ฿91.6

31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

$9.36 ฿313

28.85%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,384

$2.40 ฿80.3

-61.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,428

$1.01 ฿33.92

-5.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 IQD 1,268

$1.61 ฿53.9

-47.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 1,002

$1.52 ฿50.7

-56.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 844

$1.28 ฿42.90

-56.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 849

$1.11 ฿37.22

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 839

$0.72 ฿24.09

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 717

$0.52 ฿17.54

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,468

$4.33 ฿145

-62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

$17.73 ฿593

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,120

$1.63 ฿54.4

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,691

$2.85 ฿95.3

-37.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 IQD 639

$0.85 ฿28.31

-50.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-59.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 IQD 2,724

$1.17 ฿39.18

53.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,031

$0.57 ฿19.00

135.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 IQD 7,268

$2.37 ฿79.2

102.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 IQD 766

$1.45 ฿48.32

-64.83%

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

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-27.03%

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

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-36.34%

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

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

$62.3 ฿2,083

42.15%

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

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

$12.27 ฿410

-1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

$19.97 ฿668

24.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-1.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.39 IQD 5,120

$3.76 ฿126

-9.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

$6.71 ฿224

37.11%

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

$128 IQD 193.8K

$797 ฿26.6K

-83.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-81.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-61.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

$25.05 ฿837

-15.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-48.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 269.0K

$464 ฿15.5K

-61.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$128 IQD 194.1K

$305 ฿10.2K

-57.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 IQD 564.1K

$915 ฿30.6K

-59.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 IQD 465.9K

$552 ฿18.5K

-44.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$629 IQD 951.1K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-67.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$532 IQD 803.7K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-63.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.57

-40.22%

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

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 54.2% $84

Accommodation & Living

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 137% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 24.7% $31

Eating Out

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 20.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 7.8% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 104% $56

Getting Around

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 89.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Al-Rumaitha and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $154 vs $238, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

4 h ahead of Al-Rumaitha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,431

127,240

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 IQD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Al-Rumaitha Chiang Mai 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $975 in Al-Rumaitha and $1,408 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: $178 in Al-Rumaitha versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $650 per month in Al-Rumaitha versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 144% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.