Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ait Melloul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ait Melloul: $693 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Ait Melloul
Learn more

Ait Melloul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ait Melloul

🇲🇦 Morocco

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ait Melloul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $693 in Ait Melloul.

Chiang Mai $936
Ait Melloul $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,042 in Ait Melloul.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ait Melloul $1,042

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,392 in Ait Melloul.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ait Melloul $1,392

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 35% more expensive than in Ait Melloul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ait Melloul 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.88 MAD 38.21

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$25.49 MAD 251

-25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.07 MAD 59.8

-8.57%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.17 MAD 21.38

-23.04%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.88 MAD 8.63

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.37 MAD 3.61

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.18 MAD 51.0

-54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.38 MAD 43.18

-16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.80 MAD 7.83

143.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.50 MAD 4.91

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.49 MAD 14.63

-10.74%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.68 MAD 16.57

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.62 MAD 75.1

115.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.28 MAD 52.0

-47.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.44 MAD 113

-18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.29 MAD 12.70

82.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.13 MAD 11.12

-14.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.90 MAD 8.90

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.77 MAD 7.63

94.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.71 MAD 6.99

80.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.75 MAD 7.42

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.25 MAD 2.47

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.54 MAD 5.32

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.12 MAD 40.59

0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.52 MAD 74.1

132.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.30 MAD 22.64

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.36 MAD 33.08

-17.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.42 MAD 4.13

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$19.47 MAD 192

177.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.64 MAD 6.31

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.63 MAD 6.24

-15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$7.15 MAD 70.5

-66.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.47 MAD 14.48

-1.36%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$30.5K MAD 300.8K

-31.04%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$30.9K MAD 304.3K

-12.80%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$24.05 MAD 237

158.50%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.97 MAD 88.4

35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$28.86 MAD 284

-30.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$22.95 MAD 226

62.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$23.46 MAD 231

-83.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.14 MAD 50.7

26.26%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$68.6 MAD 676

973.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,845 MAD 18.2K

700.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$31.19 MAD 307

71.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$43.82 MAD 432

-43.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$57.7 MAD 568

58.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$46.44 MAD 457

54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$284 MAD 2,798

69.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$203 MAD 2,000

52.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$436 MAD 4,295

130.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$259 MAD 2,550

144.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,153 MAD 11.4K

104.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$812 MAD 8,000

95.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ait Melloul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ait Melloul

$203 29.3% 34.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ait Melloul

$174 25.2% 25.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ait Melloul

$81 11.6% 25.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ait Melloul

$62 8.9% 34.5% $33

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ait Melloul

$115 16.6% 48.1% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ait Melloul

$25 3.6% 59.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ait Melloul

$33 4.8% 33.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $284 in Ait Melloul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $25 in Ait Melloul. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $174, with Ait Melloul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Ait Melloul

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

23:55 11:55 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

171,847

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Chiang Mai Ait Melloul 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ait Melloul

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 Ait Melloul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ait Melloul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,039 in Ait Melloul 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $284 in Ait Melloul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $69 in Ait Melloul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Ait Melloul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.