Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Adliya

For one person, living is cheaper in Adliya: $748 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Adliya, Bahrain
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Adliya
🇧🇭 Bahrain
$748
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Adliya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $748 in Adliya, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Adliya $748

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,191 in Adliya, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Adliya $1,191

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,634 in Adliya, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Adliya $1,634

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Adliya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Adliya are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Adliya 45% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$4.05 BHD 1.53
-44.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$53.8 BHD 20.29
-64.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$7.46 BHD 2.81
-25.60%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$1.07 BHD 0.40
56.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$0.77 BHD 0.29
-16.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$0.26 BHD 0.10
19.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$6.66 BHD 2.51
-64.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$9.74 BHD 3.67
-62.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.44 BHD 0.54
35.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$1.07 BHD 0.40
34.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$2.33 BHD 0.88
-42.92%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$2.24 BHD 0.84
1.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$8.87 BHD 3.35
85.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$6.42 BHD 2.42
-56.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$8.86 BHD 3.34
5.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$2.40 BHD 0.90
-2.08%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$2.34 BHD 0.88
-58.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.96 BHD 0.74
-18.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.39 BHD 0.53
7.91%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$1.00 BHD 0.38
28.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$1.36 BHD 0.51
-19.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$1.55 BHD 0.58
-54.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$0.80 BHD 0.30
-38.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$5.32 BHD 2.01
-22.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$18.81 BHD 7.09
-6.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$3.64 BHD 1.37
-55.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.62 BHD 0.99
6.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$5.21 BHD 1.97
-77.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$3.52 BHD 1.33
-84.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$15.89 BHD 5.99
-84.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.65 BHD 0.24
123.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$26.0K BHD 9,808
-19.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$19.7K BHD 7,435
36.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$153 BHD 57.8
-59.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$24.31 BHD 9.17
-49.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$34.65 BHD 13.07
-41.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$10.58 BHD 3.99
-38.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$624 BHD 236
17.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$11.2K BHD 4,211
32.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$19.74 BHD 7.44
170.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$58.2 BHD 21.97
-57.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$89.3 BHD 33.67
2.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$88.3 BHD 33.31
-18.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Adliya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$3,172 BHD 1,196
-81.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.21
-10.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Adliya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Adliya
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Adliya
$252 7.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Adliya
$115 5.8% $6.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Adliya
$212 125% $118
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Adliya
$124 60.5% $47
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Adliya
$23 * 62.8% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Adliya
$21 * 57.9% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Adliya are about 5.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $54 in Adliya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $252 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇧🇭 Adliya
🕒 Local time
06:03 6:03 AM
02:03 2:03 AM
4 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
147,074
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب
Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.42 BHD (1 BHD = 2.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Adliya 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Adliya

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 Adliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Adliya?
Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Adliya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Adliya?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,121 in Adliya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Chiang Mai compared to Adliya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $748 in Adliya. That makes Adliya about 20% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Adliya?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $624 in Adliya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Adliya?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Adliya costs $748 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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