Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ain Beida

For one person, living is cheaper in Ain Beida: $550 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ain Beida
Learn more

Ain Beida Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ain Beida

🇩🇿 Algeria

$550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ain Beida

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $550 in Ain Beida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ain Beida $550

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $895 in Ain Beida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ain Beida $895

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,239 in Ain Beida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ain Beida $1,239

Chiang Mai costs about 70% more than Ain Beida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Ain Beida are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ain Beida 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$3.23 DZD 437

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$17.04 DZD 2,303

9.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.86 DZD 522

45.08%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.64 DZD 86.6

159.38%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$0.63 DZD 85.1

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$0.26 DZD 35.41

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.53 DZD 207

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.21 DZD 299

66.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$0.90 DZD 122

124.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$0.15 DZD 20.07

840.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$1.92 DZD 260

-27.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$1.23 DZD 166

92.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$12.96 DZD 1,752

27.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$4.68 DZD 633

-42.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$15.49 DZD 2,094

-41.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$2.09 DZD 282

14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$2.75 DZD 371

-62.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.06 DZD 144

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$0.92 DZD 125

69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$0.61 DZD 82.9

103.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$0.49 DZD 66.3

122.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$0.73 DZD 98.2

4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$0.25 DZD 33.45

104.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.70 DZD 365

52.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$6.79 DZD 917

164.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$1.28 DZD 174

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$1.84 DZD 249

53.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$0.22 DZD 29.60

322.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$6.74 DZD 911

684.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$0.54 DZD 73.2

118.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.41 DZD 54.8

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$5.12 DZD 692

-64.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$0.35 DZD 47.87

320.00%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$31.4K DZD 4.2M

-33.11%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$34.8K DZD 4.7M

-23.81%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$36.51 DZD 4,935

71.35%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$9.45 DZD 1,277

22.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$12.34 DZD 1,668

64.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$22.37 DZD 3,024

69.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.60 DZD 622

41.52%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$333 DZD 45.1K

118.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$4,862 DZD 657.2K

240.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$32.55 DZD 4,399

64.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$34.50 DZD 4,664

-28.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$68.6 DZD 9,270

31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$80.0 DZD 10.8K

-10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$146 DZD 19.7K

229.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$92.6 DZD 12.5K

234.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$265 DZD 35.8K

299.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$196 DZD 26.4K

236.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$990 DZD 133.8K

144.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$1,039 DZD 140.4K

54.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$302 DZD 40.8K

97.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ain Beida: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ain Beida

$93 16.8% 70.1% $217

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ain Beida

$200 36.3% 15.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ain Beida

$97 17.6% 10.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ain Beida

$58 10.6% 38.3% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ain Beida

$61 11% 20.6% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ain Beida

$10 1.9% 82.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ain Beida

$32 5.7% 38% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $146 in Ain Beida. 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 97% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Ain Beida. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $200 – making Ain Beida the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Ain Beida

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

118,662

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ain Beida 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ain Beida

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 Ain Beida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $550 in Ain Beida – Ain Beida comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $826 in Ain Beida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ain Beida, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $146 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $550 in Ain Beida. That makes Ain Beida about 41% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Ain Beida. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $550 in Ain Beida, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Ain Beida. 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.