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 $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $456 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $728 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,000 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Al Kharijah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Kharijah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Al Kharijah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿63.2

$3.59 E£189

-45.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿597

$15.69 E£825

17.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿243

$4.66 E£245

60.94%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.6

$1.45 E£76.5

33.10%

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

$0.78 ฿25.22

$0.31 E£16.34

151.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.48

$0.10 E£5.27

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.6

$1.21 E£63.7

77.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$2.97 E£156

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$0.90 E£47.09

90.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.58 E£30.38

168.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.27

$0.65 E£34.00

81.54%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿64.2

$1.39 E£72.9

42.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿520

$3.27 E£172

390.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$4.37 E£230

-27.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿355

$8.62 E£454

26.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿85.1

$1.47 E£77.5

78.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.82

$0.54 E£28.67

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.3

$0.43 E£22.58

283.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.78

$0.40 E£20.91

285.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.59

$0.37 E£19.53

272.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.75

$0.44 E£23.20

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.37

$0.24 E£12.66

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.64

$0.22 E£11.35

131.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$2.01 E£106

124.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿594

$5.45 E£287

236.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.32 E£69.3

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.88 E£99.1

69.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.13

$0.21 E£10.84

328.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.76

$0.41 E£21.57

243.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.39

$0.31 E£16.37

322.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿262

$2.03 E£107

298.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.31

$0.31 E£16.07

312.90%

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

$21.3K ฿689.9K

$36.2K E£1.9M

-41.12%

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

$21.7K ฿703.2K

$33.7K E£1.8M

-35.59%

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

$69.2 ฿2,242

$12.07 E£635

473.32%

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

$13.97 ฿453

$6.31 E£332

121.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿582

$10.52 E£554

70.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,371

$21.81 E£1,147

93.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿192

$2.92 E£154

102.74%

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

$299 ฿9,694

$88.9 E£4,674

236.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿481.1K

$1,855 E£97.6K

700.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,820

$27.13 E£1,427

107.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿873

$49.04 E£2,580

-45.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,750

$108 E£5,669

-21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,327

$49.82 E£2,621

44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.1K

$188 E£9,900

131.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,771

$101 E£5,322

137.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.8K

$309 E£16.2K

158.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

$181 E£9,515

175.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.6K

$792 E£41.7K

151.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.6K

$431 E£22.7K

255.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al Kharijah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $188 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 $18 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Al Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $122 – 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 85%, 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 $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $684 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 $845 in Chiang Mai and $456 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $88.9 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 $845 in Chiang Mai and $456 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.