Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ain Defla

For one person, living is cheaper in Ain Defla: $517 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ain Defla
Learn more

Ain Defla Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ain Defla

🇩🇿 Algeria

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $517 in Ain Defla.

Chiang Mai $936
Ain Defla $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $881 in Ain Defla.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ain Defla $881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,245 in Ain Defla.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ain Defla $1,245

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 81% more expensive than in Ain Defla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ain Defla 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.92 DZD 258

16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$22.52 DZD 3,030

-15.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.29 DZD 307

142.36%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$0.68 DZD 92.1

145.59%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.64 DZD 86.1

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.47 DZD 62.8

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.64 DZD 221

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.93 DZD 394

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.96 DZD 129

103.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.14 DZD 19.16

928.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.01 DZD 136

31.68%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.32 DZD 177

72.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$6.26 DZD 842

162.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.35 DZD 720

-48.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.22 DZD 1,913

-34.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$3.12 DZD 420

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$2.99 DZD 402

-67.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.35 DZD 182

18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.98 DZD 132

53.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.82 DZD 110

56.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.72 DZD 96.8

52.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.66 DZD 88.6

7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.38 DZD 51.3

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.57 DZD 346

61.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$9.92 DZD 1,335

76.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$2.21 DZD 298

-27.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.63 DZD 354

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.23 DZD 30.46

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$6.60 DZD 889

719.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.87 DZD 116

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.33 DZD 44.64

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$4.44 DZD 597

-45.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.31 DZD 41.48

367.74%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$16.3K DZD 2.2M

29.07%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$27.6K DZD 3.7M

-2.54%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$18.79 DZD 2,528

230.87%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$4.34 DZD 583

180.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$9.90 DZD 1,332

103.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$17.57 DZD 2,364

112.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.62 DZD 622

40.48%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$49.36 DZD 6,642

1391.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$3,226 DZD 434.1K

357.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$32.87 DZD 4,422

62.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$55.0 DZD 7,395

-55.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$80.8 DZD 10.9K

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$79.3 DZD 10.7K

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$150 DZD 20.2K

221.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$87.1 DZD 11.7K

254.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$268 DZD 36.1K

274.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$216 DZD 29.1K

192.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$983 DZD 132.3K

140.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,032 DZD 138.9K

53.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$431 DZD 58.0K

36.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ain Defla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ain Defla

$87 16.8% 71.8% $222

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ain Defla

$200 38.6% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ain Defla

$112 21.6% 2.7% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ain Defla

$33 6.4% 65% $61

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ain Defla

$49 9.5% 37% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ain Defla

$10 1.9% 83.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ain Defla

$27 5.2% 46.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $150 in Ain Defla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $23 in Ain Defla. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $200, with Ain Defla cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Ain Defla

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

07:29 7:29 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

65,453

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.68 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ain Defla 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ain Defla

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 Defla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ain Defla is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $150 in Ain Defla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $23 in Ain Defla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $517 in Ain Defla – Ain Defla is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Ain Defla are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ain Defla wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.