Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al-hawamidiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al-hawamidiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $467 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $749 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,031 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 100% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$4.31 E£224

-51.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$16.23 E£845

20.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.78 E£249

18.62%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.29 E£67.1

40.31%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.31 E£15.98

148.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.10 E£5.39

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.38 E£71.7

60.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.91 E£152

30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$0.90 E£46.72

127.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$0.76 E£39.36

98.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.66 E£34.34

112.12%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.21 E£63.2

86.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$3.68 E£192

339.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$4.31 E£225

-32.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.41 E£490

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$1.59 E£82.6

68.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$0.72 E£37.29

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$0.53 E£27.70

205.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$0.37 E£19.29

294.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$0.27 E£14.20

374.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$0.31 E£16.11

241.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.29 E£15.26

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.19 E£10.08

178.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$1.94 E£101

118.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$5.84 E£304

213.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$1.28 E£66.6

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.65 E£138

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.21 E£10.94

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$0.60 E£31.24

95.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.45 E£23.27

28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$1.95 E£102

22.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$0.43 E£22.48

237.21%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$32.5K E£1.7M

-35.43%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$27.6K E£1.4M

-4.43%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$14.09 E£734

351.74%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$7.10 E£370

81.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$13.59 E£708

50.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$17.68 E£921

120.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$2.86 E£149

130.07%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$81.9 E£4,263

857.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$2,134 E£111.2K

587.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$32.49 E£1,692

69.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$43.46 E£2,263

-43.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$122 E£6,357

-22.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$53.9 E£2,809

37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$140 E£7,290

250.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$74.7 E£3,888

286.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$221 E£11.5K

302.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$158 E£8,227

229.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$821 E£42.7K

140.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$402 E£20.9K

259.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $140 in Al-hawamidiyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $129 – making Al-hawamidiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-hawamidiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 100% more than Al-hawamidiyah, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $700 in Al-hawamidiyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-hawamidiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 86% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-hawamidiyah, where all-in costs run around $467, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Al-hawamidiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $467 versus $932 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-hawamidiyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.