Cost of Living Comparison Between As Salt and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between As Salt and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $676 in As Salt versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,084 in As Salt versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,491 in As Salt versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in As Salt costs roughly 21% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Salt 49% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.21 JOD 2.98

$2.04 ฿68.2

106.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.03 JOD 14.89

$18.71 ฿624

12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 JOD 4.90

$7.86 ฿262

-11.83%

Cappuccino

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$2.03 ฿67.7

-29.06%

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

$0.36 JOD 0.26

$0.80 ฿26.64

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 JOD 0.19

$0.35 ฿11.68

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 JOD 3.92

$2.14 ฿71.5

158.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 JOD 3.02

$3.67 ฿122

16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.73 ฿57.6

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 JOD 0.24

$1.57 ฿52.4

-78.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JOD 1.15

$1.20 ฿39.99

35.00%

Eggs

$1.73 JOD 1.23

$1.97 ฿65.8

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.14 JOD 2.93

$16.23 ฿541

-74.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 JOD 2.95

$3.06 ฿102

35.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 JOD 8.23

$10.80 ฿360

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$2.77 ฿92.3

-48.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 JOD 1.06

$1.17 ฿38.94

27.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$1.71 ฿57.0

-16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$1.59 ฿53.2

-63.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$1.39 ฿46.51

-50.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$1.16 ฿38.56

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$0.66 ฿22.05

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 JOD 0.44

$0.52 ฿17.31

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.63 JOD 2.57

$4.65 ฿155

-21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 JOD 9.86

$17.78 ฿593

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 JOD 3.27

$1.79 ฿59.6

158.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 JOD 3.73

$3.34 ฿111

57.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JOD 0.63

$0.91 ฿30.27

-2.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.60 JOD 20.25

$18.64 ฿622

53.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$1.41 ฿47.04

-58.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 JOD 0.98

$1.34 ฿44.70

2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.00 JOD 4.96

$8.11 ฿270

-13.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 JOD 0.93

$1.23 ฿41.16

6.50%

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

$21.3K JOD 15.1K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

-0.65%

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

$25.6K JOD 18.1K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

17.42%

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

$34.96 JOD 24.75

$71.3 ฿2,379

-50.99%

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

$11.07 JOD 7.84

$14.01 ฿467

-20.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.37 JOD 10.18

$17.93 ฿598

-19.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 JOD 23.44

$40.82 ฿1,362

-18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.19 JOD 24.91

$6.88 ฿230

411.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.09 JOD 6.44

$5.72 ฿191

58.92%

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

$143 JOD 101

$308 ฿10.3K

-53.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,477 JOD 3,878

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-62.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.44 JOD 17.31

$55.8 ฿1,860

-56.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.02 JOD 34.70

$26.04 ฿869

88.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 JOD 35.63

$84.8 ฿2,829

-40.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.94 JOD 19.78

$71.0 ฿2,368

-60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 JOD 99.3

$423 ฿14.1K

-66.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 JOD 109

$242 ฿8,088

-36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 JOD 173

$797 ฿26.6K

-69.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 JOD 200

$507 ฿16.9K

-44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$567 JOD 402

$595 ฿19.9K

-4.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

45.40%

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

Last update for As Salt: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $140 in As Salt and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 5% 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: $21.00 in As Salt vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $244, with As Salt cheaper for home cooking.

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 Salt vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $140 in As Salt versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $676 per month in As Salt versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though As Salt gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $676 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, As Salt 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 As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.