Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $668 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kazimiyah
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Al Kazimiyah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Al Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $668 in Al Kazimiyah.

Chiang Mai $936
Al Kazimiyah $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,012 in Al Kazimiyah.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Al Kazimiyah $1,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,356 in Al Kazimiyah.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Al Kazimiyah $1,356

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 40% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al Kazimiyah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.17 IQD 6,294

-46.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.11 IQD 10.7K

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.19 IQD 3,313

-23.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.37 IQD 564

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.20 IQD 296

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.54 IQD 5,343

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.82 IQD 4,264

29.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.86 IQD 1,303

126.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.62 IQD 931

132.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.54 IQD 2,328

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.46 IQD 2,205

56.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.38 IQD 6,614

275.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.58 IQD 5,402

-22.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

-28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.10 IQD 1,656

113.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.86 IQD 1,296

12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.97 IQD 1,459

64.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.62 IQD 934

141.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.59 IQD 893

116.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.65 IQD 977

69.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.62 IQD 932

14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.52 IQD 792

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.46 IQD 2,207

183.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

45.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.60 IQD 2,415

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.65 IQD 2,487

68.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.38 IQD 570

128.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.97 IQD 2,979

-41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.19 IQD 1,804

-55.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$5.97 IQD 9,014

-59.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.64 IQD 968

126.56%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$18.1K IQD 27.4M

16.22%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

41.25%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$81.9 IQD 123.8K

-24.11%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.68 IQD 17.6K

4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.31 IQD 38.2K

-20.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.65 IQD 59.9K

-5.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

-27.57%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$152 IQD 229.6K

384.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,394 IQD 3.6M

516.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$22.57 IQD 34.1K

136.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$53.3 IQD 80.6K

71.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$32.17 IQD 48.6K

123.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$234 IQD 354.1K

105.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$154 IQD 233.4K

100.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$322 IQD 486.0K

212.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$294 IQD 444.6K

115.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$984 IQD 1.5M

140.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$564 IQD 852.3K

181.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Kazimiyah: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Al Kazimiyah

$154 23.1% 50% $154

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$162 24.2% 31% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Al Kazimiyah

$59 8.8% 45.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$119 17.8% 25.9% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Al Kazimiyah

$107 16% 37.3% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Al Kazimiyah

$9.5 * 1.4% 84.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Al Kazimiyah

$58 8.6% 14.5% $7.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $19 in Al Kazimiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $162, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Kazimiyah 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kazimiyah is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,001 in Al Kazimiyah 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $152 in Al Kazimiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Al Kazimiyah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.