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: $845 in Chiang Mai versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,323 in Chiang Mai versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,802 in Chiang Mai versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 83% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 37% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿63.2

$3.87 E£204

-49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿597

$14.03 E£738

31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿243

$5.48 E£288

36.86%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.6

$1.41 E£74.0

36.88%

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

$0.78 ฿25.22

$0.41 E£21.62

90.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.48

$0.15 E£7.82

113.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.6

$1.27 E£66.6

69.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$1.94 E£102

91.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$0.93 E£48.84

83.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.47 E£24.59

231.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.27

$0.71 E£37.09

66.20%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿64.2

$1.49 E£78.3

32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿520

$1.98 E£104

710.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$4.09 E£215

-22.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿355

$8.27 E£435

32.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿85.1

$1.46 E£76.6

80.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.82

$0.60 E£31.43

95.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.3

$0.38 E£20.11

334.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.78

$0.40 E£20.85

285.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.59

$0.50 E£26.37

176.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.75

$0.53 E£27.71

120.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.37

$0.29 E£15.45

127.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.64

$0.15 E£8.09

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$1.97 E£104

129.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿594

$4.29 E£226

327.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.45 E£76.0

24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.65 E£87.0

92.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.13

$0.17 E£9.01

429.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.76

$0.31 E£16.46

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.39

$0.23 E£12.03

469.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿262

$1.93 E£101

319.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.31

$0.33 E£17.36

287.88%

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

$21.3K ฿689.9K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-29.17%

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

$21.7K ฿703.2K

$35.9K E£1.9M

-39.52%

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

$69.2 ฿2,242

$19.29 E£1,015

258.74%

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

$13.97 ฿453

$7.42 E£390

88.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿582

$10.77 E£567

66.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,371

$21.96 E£1,155

92.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿192

$6.75 E£355

-12.30%

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

$299 ฿9,694

$97.2 E£5,114

207.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿481.1K

$2,652 E£139.5K

459.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,820

$17.46 E£918

221.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿873

$62.3 E£3,279

-56.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,750

$83.5 E£4,392

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,327

$51.8 E£2,725

38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.1K

$191 E£10.1K

127.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,771

$99.0 E£5,209

142.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.8K

$309 E£16.3K

158.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

$178 E£9,340

180.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.6K

$748 E£39.4K

166.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.6K

$397 E£20.9K

285.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Chiang Mai and $191 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Chiang Mai vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $113 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 83% 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 $1,267 in Chiang Mai and $694 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: $435 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $845 per month in Chiang Mai versus $462 in Al `arish – a 83% 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 $462 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 83% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.