Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Al Hillah $1,442

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Hillah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al Hillah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$4.69 IQD 7,078

-52.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$26.52 IQD 40.0K

-28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.51 IQD 8,321

0.73%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.69 IQD 4,066

-37.92%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.34 IQD 519

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.20 IQD 309

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.73 IQD 4,118

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$3.35 IQD 5,060

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.97 IQD 1,462

101.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$0.64 IQD 962

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$1.38 IQD 2,079

-3.62%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.54 IQD 2,328

48.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$3.36 IQD 5,080

389.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.01 IQD 6,061

-30.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

-24.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$0.96 IQD 1,449

144.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$0.95 IQD 1,442

2.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$0.90 IQD 1,366

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.68 IQD 1,031

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.58 IQD 883

120.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$0.60 IQD 911

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.52 IQD 785

36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.52 IQD 779

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.66 IQD 2,513

149.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

49.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.90 IQD 2,874

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$1.96 IQD 2,964

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.34 IQD 517

155.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

-1.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$1.96 IQD 2,967

-40.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$1.28 IQD 1,937

-58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.98 IQD 4,503

-18.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.50 IQD 756

190.00%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

41.92%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

62.30%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

-4.46%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$13.34 IQD 20.1K

-8.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

-39.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

90.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

-76.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.44 IQD 9,717

0.78%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$81.2 IQD 122.5K

807.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$664 IQD 1.0M

2123.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

181.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

15.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

58.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

69.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$245 IQD 369.3K

97.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$151 IQD 228.5K

104.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$436 IQD 658.7K

130.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$258 IQD 389.5K

145.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

60.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$483 IQD 728.9K

229.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$436 IQD 658.8K

35.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 51% $158

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 31.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 41.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 18.3% $17

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 40.3% $31

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 5.5% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 35.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $245 in Al Hillah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Al Hillah. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $160 in Al Hillah – so Al Hillah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

06:11 6:11 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,729,666

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,681 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Hillah 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Hillah

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 Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $27 in Al Hillah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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