Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al `arish Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al `arish

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $466 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 87% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$4.06 E£208

-51.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$13.87 E£708

35.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$5.37 E£274

44.32%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.45 E£74.2

32.41%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.42 E£21.28

88.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.12 E£6.28

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.30 E£66.4

70.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.93 E£98.4

89.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.97 E£49.79

70.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.47 E£23.89

246.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.72 E£36.71

65.28%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.57 E£80.0

27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$1.96 E£100

715.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.16 E£213

-27.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$8.30 E£424

30.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.45 E£74.2

90.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.60 E£30.75

96.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.38 E£19.49

331.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.37 E£18.84

310.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.50 E£25.67

176.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.50 E£25.49

138.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.27 E£13.72

159.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.17 E£8.59

229.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.89 E£96.7

142.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$4.27 E£218

287.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.47 E£75.1

24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.64 E£83.9

95.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.16 E£8.32

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.31 E£15.87

338.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.23 E£11.74

482.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.96 E£99.9

300.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.33 E£17.08

272.73%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-29.69%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$36.2K E£1.9M

-37.79%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$19.68 E£1,005

258.43%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$7.27 E£371

88.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$10.63 E£543

64.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$22.07 E£1,127

87.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$6.87 E£351

-16.01%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$97.0 E£4,954

216.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$2,599 E£132.7K

462.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$16.96 E£866

228.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$62.0 E£3,166

-57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$83.3 E£4,252

2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$50.3 E£2,567

43.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$192 E£9,793

124.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$101 E£5,136

137.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$304 E£15.5K

168.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$178 E£9,114

186.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$871 E£44.5K

127.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$462 E£23.6K

221.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.33

-78.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $192 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $114 per month, with Al `arish cheaper across the board.

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 Al `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,303 in Chiang Mai and $698 in Al `arish 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $192 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $869 per month in Chiang Mai versus $466 in Al `arish – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Al `arish gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $466 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Al `arish 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 Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.