Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Budayyi

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Budayyi: $125 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$938

/mo nomad

Al Budayyi

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$125

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Al Budayyi.

Chiang Mai $938
Al Budayyi $125

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $135 in Al Budayyi.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Al Budayyi $135

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $144 in Al Budayyi.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Al Budayyi $144

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 653% more expensive than in Al Budayyi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Al Budayyi 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿643

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.8

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

$0.64 ฿21.61

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿131

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.03

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿568

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿34.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿54.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.04

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,807

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.31

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.48

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

$20.5K ฿686.5K

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

$26.5K ฿889.0K

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

$62.3 ฿2,090

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

$12.27 ฿411

$19.81 BHD 7.48

-38.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿670

$105 BHD 39.57

-80.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,271

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿225

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

$797 ฿26.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,786

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿840

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,072

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,463

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿64.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.2K

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Al Budayyi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Al Budayyi

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Al Budayyi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Al Budayyi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Al Budayyi

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Al Budayyi

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Al Budayyi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Al Budayyi

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇭 Al Budayyi

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Budayyi 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Budayyi

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 Budayyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Budayyi wins on cost – living expenses run 653% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Budayyi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $187 in Al Budayyi 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.

At $125 in Al Budayyi versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Budayyi but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Al Budayyi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Budayyi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $125 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Budayyi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Al Budayyi 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 Budayyi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 653% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.