Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Adma

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,003 in Adma, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. The total is higher in Adma despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Adma
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Adma Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Adma

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,003 in Adma.

Chiang Mai $938
Adma $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,604 in Adma.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Adma $1,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $2,205 in Adma.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Adma $2,205

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 6% less than in Adma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Adma 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$12.24 LBP 1.1M

-81.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$67.9 LBP 6.1M

-71.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.81 LBP 877.8K

-43.02%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.57 LBP 409.3K

-62.36%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.30 LBP 205.8K

-72.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.89 LBP 79.6K

-62.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$5.12 LBP 458.0K

-53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.65 LBP 416.5K

-16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.93 LBP 173.1K

6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.86 LBP 76.6K

62.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

-43.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.66 LBP 327.9K

-38.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$11.04 LBP 987.9K

53.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$10.41 LBP 931.3K

-73.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.60 LBP 1.3M

-35.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.15 LBP 281.6K

-23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.70 LBP 151.7K

-40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.67 LBP 149.1K

-3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.52 LBP 135.9K

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.20 LBP 107.1K

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.53 LBP 136.9K

-27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.16 LBP 103.8K

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.71 LBP 63.7K

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.02 LBP 269.9K

43.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.81 LBP 967.3K

64.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 LBP 114.6K

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.60 LBP 232.4K

9.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$4.86 LBP 435.0K

-75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.29 LBP 204.7K

-75.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$22.62 LBP 2.0M

-89.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.04 LBP 93.0K

39.42%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$54.1K LBP 4.8B

-62.13%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$33.2K LBP 3.0B

-20.17%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$233 LBP 20.9M

-73.25%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

-44.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

-47.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$9.97 LBP 892.1K

-32.70%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$686 LBP 61.4M

16.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$10.5K LBP 940.5M

41.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$67.8 LBP 6.1M

-21.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$48.97 LBP 4.4M

-48.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$139 LBP 12.5M

-34.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$122 LBP 10.9M

-39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Adma: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Adma

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Adma

$274 27.3% 15% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Adma

$170 17% 55.3% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Adma

$293 29.2% 210% $198

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Adma

$230 22.9% 191% $151

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Adma

$16 * 1.6% 73.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Adma

$20 * 2% 61.2% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $68.0 in Adma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $274 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Adma

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

08:43 8:43 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Adma 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Adma

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 Adma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $1,504 in Adma to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $686 in Adma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Adma. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,003 in Adma, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Adma. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Adma, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Adma 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Adma. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.