Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ahvaz

For one person, living is cheaper in Ahvaz: $575 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Ahvaz
Learn more

Ahvaz Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ahvaz

🇮🇷 Iran

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $575 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ahvaz $575

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $873 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ahvaz $873

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,172 in Ahvaz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ahvaz $1,172

Chiang Mai costs about 63% more than Ahvaz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ahvaz are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ahvaz 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.95 $1.95

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$12.19 $12.19

52.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.69 $3.69

51.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 $0.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.14 $1.14

45.61%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.52 $0.52

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.99 $0.99

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$0.89 $0.89

126.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.58 $0.58

143.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$1.80 $1.80

-22.78%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.26 $1.26

88.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$4.19 $4.19

294.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.74 $3.74

-28.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$9.64 $9.64

-6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$0.79 $0.79

203.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.42 $1.42

-26.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.83 $0.83

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.59 $0.59

164.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.58 $0.58

113.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.55 $0.55

98.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.47 $0.47

61.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.31 $0.31

64.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.97 $0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.22 $2.22

85.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.15 $0.15

520.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$9.49 $9.49

457.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$0.52 $0.52

126.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.51 $0.51

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$3.02 $3.02

-40.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$121.4K $121.4K

-82.69%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$63.8K $63.8K

-58.43%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$14.21 $14.21

340.25%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$1.54 $1.54

653.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$7.06 $7.06

187.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$17.95 $17.95

111.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$5.67 $5.67

-34.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$1.17 $1.17

456.41%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$106 $106

586.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$636 $636

2504.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$52.0 $52.0

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$46.55 $46.55

-46.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$97.2 $97.2

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$103 $103

-30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$322 $322

49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$223 $223

38.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$508 $508

108.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$344 $344

91.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,259 $1,259

92.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$721 $721

123.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$534 $534

11.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

23.67

-76.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ahvaz: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ahvaz

$223 38.8% 28% $87

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ahvaz

$114 19.9% 51.7% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ahvaz

$135 23.4% 24.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ahvaz

$23 4% 75.9% $72

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ahvaz

$46 8.1% 39.4% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ahvaz

$13 2.3% 77.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ahvaz

$20 3.5% 60.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $322 in Ahvaz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Ahvaz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $114 – making Ahvaz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Ahvaz

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

20:54 8:54 PM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,184,788

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ahvaz 5,210 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ahvaz

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 Ahvaz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $862 in Ahvaz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ahvaz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $322 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $12 in Ahvaz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $575 in Ahvaz. That makes Ahvaz about 39% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Ahvaz – 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 Ahvaz. 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.