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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $468 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $743 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,018 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.47 E£177

-42.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$15.94 E£814

17.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.65 E£238

66.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.51 E£77.2

27.15%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.29 E£14.60

172.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.12 E£6.33

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.16 E£59.5

90.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.94 E£150

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.79 E£40.39

108.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.73 E£37.15

123.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.71 E£36.33

67.61%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.39 E£71.1

43.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.84 E£196

316.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.42 E£226

-31.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$9.76 E£498

11.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.41 E£72.0

95.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.55 E£27.96

114.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.39 E£20.08

320.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.39 E£19.99

289.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.41 E£20.72

236.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.43 E£22.19

176.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.22 E£11.18

218.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.22 E£11.06

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.99 E£102

130.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$5.61 E£286

195.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.42 E£72.6

28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.62 E£134

22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.19 E£9.84

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.56 E£28.49

142.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.45 E£23.03

197.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.00 E£102

292.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.30 E£15.56

310.00%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-38.22%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$33.3K E£1.7M

-32.21%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$11.19 E£572

530.38%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$5.54 E£283

146.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$10.19 E£520

71.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$22.64 E£1,156

82.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.91 E£149

98.28%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$90.0 E£4,594

241.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,829 E£93.4K

698.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$27.02 E£1,380

106.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$49.48 E£2,527

-47.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$109 E£5,570

-21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$50.8 E£2,596

42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$191 E£9,747

125.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$99.1 E£5,061

140.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$313 E£16.0K

160.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$178 E£9,081

187.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$846 E£43.2K

134.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$398 E£20.3K

273.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-70.59%

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-hawamidiyah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $191 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 $19.00 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 86% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $702 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 $19.00 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $468 in Al-hawamidiyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $468 versus $869 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.