Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Babol and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $471 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$471

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $471 per month in Babol vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Babol $471
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $733 per month in Babol vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Babol $733
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $994 per month in Babol vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Babol $994
Chiang Mai $1,979

Babol is about 50% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Babol and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Babol 65% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 $2.94

$2.24 ฿75.7

31.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.80 $10.80

$19.00 ฿642

-43.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.55 ฿188

-27.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

Cappuccino

$1.05 $1.05

$1.67 ฿56.6

-37.13%

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

$0.29 $0.29

$0.64 ฿21.56

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.31 ฿10.32

454.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.95 ฿65.8

-63.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 $0.22

$1.44 ฿48.51

-84.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.33 ฿45.07

85.71%

Eggs

$1.22 $1.22

$2.28 ฿77.1

-46.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$16.45 ฿556

-87.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.78 ฿94.0

17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.31 ฿314

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.35 ฿79.5

-48.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 ฿32.82

45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.60 ฿53.9

-70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.50 ฿50.7

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.28 ฿43.15

-77.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.10 ฿37.22

-73.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.71 ฿23.84

-59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 $0.14

$0.49 ฿16.38

-71.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.14 ฿140

-45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 $0.16

$0.87 ฿29.33

-81.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.65 $9.65

$54.1 ฿1,827

-82.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.16 ฿39.08

-56.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.53 ฿17.82

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.42 ฿81.8

21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.08 $0.08

$1.45 ฿48.93

-94.48%

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

$49.2K $49.2K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

133.82%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

11.55%

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

$12.91 $12.91

$62.2 ฿2,100

-79.23%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$12.17 ฿411

-87.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.84 $3.84

$20.12 ฿680

-80.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.51 $18.51

$37.31 ฿1,260

-50.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.57 $13.57

$3.77 ฿127

259.95%

Cinema Ticket

$1.94 $1.94

$6.49 ฿219

-70.11%

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

$48.02 $48.02

$736 ฿24.9K

-93.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,397 $2,397

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-83.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.85 $19.85

$53.4 ฿1,802

-62.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$24.64 ฿832

-39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.6 $53.6

$91.5 ฿3,089

-41.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.31 $39.31

$71.9 ฿2,429

-45.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$482 ฿16.3K

-40.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 $207

$309 ฿10.4K

-32.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 $779

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 $359

$633 ฿21.4K

-43.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$911 $911

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-61.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$596 $596

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-62.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$130 $130

$590 ฿19.9K

-77.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.75

5.57

326.39%

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

Last update for Babol: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Babol

$207 44%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 48.9% $102

Groceries & Markets

Babol

$97 20.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 141% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Babol

$57 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 89% $51

Eating Out

Babol

$56 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 38.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Babol

$22 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 125% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Babol

$18 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 417% $76

Getting Around

Babol

$12 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 401% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Babol versus $482 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 in Chiang Mai are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Babol versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $234 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Babol

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

04:08 4:08 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of Babol

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

220,000

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Babol Chiang Mai 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Babol
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $471 in Babol, $936 in Chiang Mai – Babol comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $707 per month in Babol 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 Babol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $48 per month in Babol and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $471 in Babol and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Babol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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