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: $685 in As Salt versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in As Salt versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,468 in As Salt versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in As Salt costs roughly 26% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Salt 50% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 JOD 3.46

$2.08 ฿69.2

135.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.12 JOD 14.95

$19.61 ฿652

7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 JOD 5.11

$5.67 ฿189

27.34%

Cappuccino

$2.17 JOD 1.53

$1.81 ฿60.0

19.89%

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

$0.38 JOD 0.27

$0.77 ฿25.55

-50.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$0.35 ฿11.48

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 JOD 3.95

$2.21 ฿73.6

152.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 JOD 3.00

$3.79 ฿126

12.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 JOD 0.89

$2.05 ฿68.1

-39.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 JOD 0.22

$1.51 ฿50.4

-79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 JOD 1.07

$1.40 ฿46.51

8.57%

Eggs

$1.73 JOD 1.23

$2.26 ฿75.1

-23.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.72 JOD 3.34

$16.19 ฿538

-70.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 JOD 2.34

$2.90 ฿96.3

14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 JOD 9.08

$9.42 ฿313

36.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 JOD 1.11

$2.68 ฿89.1

-41.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 JOD 1.03

$1.09 ฿36.23

33.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 JOD 1.03

$1.62 ฿53.8

-10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 JOD 0.54

$1.46 ฿48.55

-47.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$1.28 ฿42.48

-41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 JOD 0.39

$1.06 ฿35.17

-48.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 JOD 0.33

$0.72 ฿23.85

-34.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.53 ฿17.49

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 JOD 2.56

$4.23 ฿141

-14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 JOD 10.06

$18.29 ฿608

-22.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.12 JOD 2.92

$1.63 ฿54.2

152.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 JOD 3.53

$2.90 ฿96.5

71.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 JOD 0.61

$0.88 ฿29.20

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.76 JOD 20.36

$53.8 ฿1,788

-46.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 JOD 0.41

$1.17 ฿38.99

-51.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$0.58 ฿19.22

148.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 JOD 4.87

$2.39 ฿79.3

188.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JOD 0.96

$1.45 ฿48.22

-6.21%

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

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

$21.0K ฿698.6K

-0.05%

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

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

$26.4K ฿878.6K

-4.00%

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

$34.59 JOD 24.48

$63.7 ฿2,116

-45.66%

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

$11.14 JOD 7.89

$12.89 ฿429

-13.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.23 JOD 10.07

$20.52 ฿682

-30.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.02 JOD 19.83

$39.02 ฿1,297

-28.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 JOD 25.16

$3.92 ฿130

806.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 JOD 5.07

$6.58 ฿219

8.81%

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

$139 JOD 98.0

$784 ฿26.1K

-82.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,573 JOD 6,067

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-41.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.71 JOD 17.48

$55.1 ฿1,833

-55.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.75 JOD 35.21

$24.74 ฿823

101.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.1 JOD 35.44

$94.1 ฿3,130

-46.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.55 JOD 20.20

$74.0 ฿2,459

-61.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 JOD 100

$490 ฿16.3K

-71.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 JOD 109

$288 ฿9,582

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 JOD 175

$891 ฿29.6K

-72.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 JOD 198

$521 ฿17.3K

-46.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 JOD 398

$602 ฿20.0K

-6.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.57

22.26%

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

Last update for As Salt: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $141 in As Salt and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $241, 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 36% 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 7% 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: $141 in As Salt versus $490 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $685 per month in As Salt versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in As Salt versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 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 36% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.