Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Kharijah Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Kharijah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $453 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $733 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,013 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 92% more than Al Kharijah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Kharijah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Al Kharijah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.54 E£181

-44.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$15.87 E£811

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.54 E£232

70.70%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.48 E£75.8

29.73%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.29 E£14.76

172.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.10 E£5.23

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.17 E£59.9

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.04 E£155

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.89 E£45.56

85.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.61 E£31.28

167.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.70 E£35.95

70.00%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.43 E£73.2

39.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.43 E£175

365.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.18 E£214

-27.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$8.63 E£441

25.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.42 E£72.5

94.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.54 E£27.44

118.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.43 E£21.97

281.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.37 E£18.86

310.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.38 E£19.16

263.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.44 E£22.47

170.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.24 E£12.29

191.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.19 E£9.58

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$1.98 E£101

131.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$7.14 E£365

131.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.35 E£68.8

35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.81 E£92.2

76.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.18 E£9.09

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.42 E£21.21

223.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.29 E£14.68

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.93 E£98.6

306.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.30 E£15.53

310.00%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-39.48%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$33.7K E£1.7M

-33.15%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$11.63 E£594

506.53%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$6.51 E£332

110.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$10.70 E£546

63.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$22.10 E£1,129

87.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.99 E£152

92.98%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$90.2 E£4,608

240.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,888 E£96.4K

674.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$27.51 E£1,405

102.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$47.64 E£2,433

-44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$109 E£5,555

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$49.85 E£2,546

44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$191 E£9,769

124.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$98.4 E£5,025

142.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$308 E£15.7K

165.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$175 E£8,951

191.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$813 E£41.5K

144.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$424 E£21.6K

250.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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 Kharijah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Al Kharijah. 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 Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $124 – making Al Kharijah 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 Kharijah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 92%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $679 in Al Kharijah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $869 in Chiang Mai and $453 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $90.2 in Al Kharijah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $453 in Al Kharijah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Kharijah. 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.