Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,049 in Abha, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Abha despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Abha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Abha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,049 in Abha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Abha $1,049

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,747 in Abha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Abha $1,747

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,444 in Abha, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Abha $2,444

Chiang Mai is about 11% cheaper than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Abha are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Abha 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$5.18 SAR 19.45

-58.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$50.7 SAR 190

-63.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$7.22 SAR 27.09

-22.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.90

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.11 SAR 11.67

-46.62%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.63 SAR 2.38

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.22 SAR 0.82

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.63 SAR 6.10

23.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.64 SAR 2.39

120.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.97 SAR 7.38

-29.44%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.10 SAR 11.65

-23.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$4.33 SAR 16.27

281.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$7.59 SAR 28.47

-64.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$18.40 SAR 69.1

-50.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.08 SAR 7.82

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.94 SAR 7.27

-46.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.64 SAR 6.14

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.61 SAR 6.05

-3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.18 SAR 8.18

-43.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.26 SAR 4.72

-13.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.34 SAR 1.27

123.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.51 SAR 1.93

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.40 SAR 16.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 SAR 5.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$9.12 SAR 34.21

-54.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.85 SAR 3.20

9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$37.06 SAR 139

42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$2.99 SAR 11.22

-60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$2.63 SAR 9.87

-93.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$14.25 SAR 53.5

-87.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.59 SAR 2.22

149.15%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$28.7K SAR 107.7K

-26.76%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$19.0K SAR 71.5K

39.22%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$86.9 SAR 326

-28.00%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$36.53 SAR 137

-68.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$75.9 SAR 285

-73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$91.5 SAR 343

-58.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$45.46 SAR 171

-91.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$15.73 SAR 59.1

-58.61%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$211 SAR 792

244.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$4,216 SAR 15.8K

293.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$30.04 SAR 113

78.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$69.8 SAR 262

-64.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$96.3 SAR 361

-6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$67.0 SAR 251

7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$305 SAR 1,144

57.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$246 SAR 923

26.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$541 SAR 2,030

95.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$570 SAR 2,140

15.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$935 SAR 3,511

158.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$1,334 SAR 5,008

20.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,239 SAR 8,402

-73.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Abha: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Abha

$246 23.5% 20.6% $64

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Abha

$202 19.3% 14.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Abha

$118 11.3% 9.3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Abha

$199 19% 111% $105

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Abha

$104 9.9% 35.6% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Abha

$57 5.4% 3.5% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Abha

$123 11.7% 142% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $305 in Abha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Abha are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $51 in Abha. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Abha – so Abha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Abha

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

11:24 11:24 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

236,157

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Abha 5,930 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Abha

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

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

Abha costs about 12% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,574 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $305 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Abha – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $51 in Abha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,049 in Abha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,049 in Abha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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