Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Bayda

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Bayda: $10.38 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Al Bayda

🇱🇾 Libya

$10.38

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Al Bayda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $10.38 in Al Bayda.

Chiang Mai $935
Al Bayda $10.38

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $16.02 in Al Bayda.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Al Bayda $16.02

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Al Bayda.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Al Bayda $22

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 8912% more expensive than in Al Bayda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al Bayda 99% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.60 LYD 10.24

-13.13%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.32 LYD 2.08

387.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.49 LYD 3.11

153.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.45 LYD 2.89

142.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$14.0K LYD 89.7K

89.31%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

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

$11.60 ฿390

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Al Bayda: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Al Bayda

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Al Bayda

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Al Bayda

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al Bayda

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Al Bayda

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Al Bayda

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Al Bayda

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇾 Al Bayda

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

19:17 7:17 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

310,329

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Bayda 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Bayda

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 Al Bayda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $15.57 in Al Bayda 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2180% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $10.38 in Al Bayda – Al Bayda is about 99% 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.