Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,454 per month in As-salimiyah vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in As-salimiyah vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,188 per month in As-salimiyah vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

As-salimiyah costs about 71% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

As-salimiyah sits 9% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 KWD 2.93

$1.96 ฿64.0

386.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.42 KWD 13.64

$18.81 ฿615

136.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 KWD 2.46

$7.92 ฿259

1.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 KWD 1.12

Cappuccino

$6.06 KWD 1.86

$1.91 ฿62.6

217.28%

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

$0.64 KWD 0.20

$0.84 ฿27.41

-23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.35 ฿11.51

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$1.64 ฿53.5

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 KWD 0.25

$1.62 ฿53.1

-49.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 KWD 0.50

$1.18 ฿38.62

36.44%

Eggs

$2.06 KWD 0.63

$2.01 ฿65.8

2.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 KWD 1.52

$15.89 ฿520

-68.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 KWD 1.92

$3.01 ฿98.5

107.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 KWD 3.16

$10.77 ฿352

-4.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 KWD 0.62

$2.61 ฿85.5

-23.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$1.22 ฿39.88

33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

$1.70 ฿55.7

-6.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 KWD 0.43

$1.58 ฿51.5

-10.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$1.32 ฿43.14

-3.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 KWD 0.28

$1.17 ฿38.23

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$0.67 ฿21.98

128.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.56 ฿18.32

-12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 KWD 0.92

$4.53 ฿148

-34.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$0.89 ฿29.00

24.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.27 KWD 14.82

$19.38 ฿634

149.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

$1.35 ฿44.20

146.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 KWD 0.98

$1.35 ฿44.05

137.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.51 KWD 5.07

$8.25 ฿270

100.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.27 ฿41.64

-73.23%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,589

$21.2K ฿691.8K

1.45%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,023

$22.5K ฿735.3K

-12.75%

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

$39.08 KWD 12.00

$70.2 ฿2,294

-44.29%

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

$18.22 KWD 5.59

$13.77 ฿450

32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.96 KWD 7.97

$17.60 ฿575

47.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.4 KWD 28.97

$41.57 ฿1,360

127.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$65.4 KWD 20.08

$6.60 ฿216

890.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 KWD 2.70

$5.78 ฿189

52.25%

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

$276 KWD 84.9

$306 ฿10.0K

-9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,650 KWD 2,041

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-55.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.81 KWD 13.14

$54.4 ฿1,778

-21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 KWD 12.83

$26.14 ฿855

59.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 KWD 26.54

$84.5 ฿2,764

2.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 KWD 21.34

$69.4 ฿2,270

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 KWD 300

$424 ฿13.9K

130.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 KWD 222

$238 ฿7,788

203.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 KWD 561

$825 ฿27.0K

121.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 KWD 423

$515 ฿16.8K

167.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,841 KWD 872

$635 ฿20.8K

347.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

42.80%

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

Last update for As-salimiyah: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in As-salimiyah versus $424 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 347% higher in As-salimiyah, 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 $44.00 in As-salimiyah versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $165 in As-salimiyah vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so As-salimiyah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

As-salimiyah vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – As-salimiyah is pricier by about 71%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,180 per month in As-salimiyah and $1,278 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,454 in As-salimiyah and $852 in Chiang Mai. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 149% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in As-salimiyah at $1,454. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in As-salimiyah 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, As-salimiyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.