Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $597 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$597

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Al-mawsil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $597 in Al-mawsil.

Chiang Mai $935
Al-mawsil $597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $906 in Al-mawsil.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Al-mawsil $906

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,214 in Al-mawsil.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Al-mawsil $1,214

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 57% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al-mawsil 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$4.17 IQD 6,296

-48.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$10.66 IQD 16.1K

74.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.81 IQD 7,265

16.42%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.68 IQD 1,029

144.12%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.32 IQD 482

103.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.18 IQD 265

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$0.81 IQD 1,224

186.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$1.34 IQD 2,029

173.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.69 IQD 1,037

192.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.65 IQD 976

116.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.58 IQD 872

139.66%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$0.95 IQD 1,435

149.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.22 IQD 10.9K

128.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$2.99 IQD 4,522

-10.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$7.89 IQD 11.9K

14.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$0.68 IQD 1,031

252.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$0.68 IQD 1,033

52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.49 IQD 738

238.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.24 IQD 364

550.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.27 IQD 410

359.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.32 IQD 482

240.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.60 IQD 911

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.52 IQD 779

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.61 IQD 2,425

155.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$10.80 IQD 16.3K

66.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.48 IQD 2,237

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.86 IQD 2,810

51.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.35 IQD 523

165.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$25.92 IQD 39.2K

104.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$1.67 IQD 2,521

-29.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.55 IQD 2,349

-89.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.98 IQD 6,008

-54.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.29 IQD 432

406.90%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$13.4K IQD 20.2M

57.39%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$15.4K IQD 23.3M

71.72%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$90.9 IQD 137.3K

-31.15%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

-4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$23.19 IQD 35.0K

-12.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$36.94 IQD 55.8K

2.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

-44.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$6.54 IQD 9,880

-0.46%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$295 IQD 445.5K

146.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$589 IQD 889.3K

2716.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$16.58 IQD 25.1K

222.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$13.00 IQD 19.6K

90.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$59.4 IQD 89.7K

52.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$16.06 IQD 24.3K

348.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$212 IQD 319.8K

127.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$139 IQD 210.0K

123.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$374 IQD 564.8K

183.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$314 IQD 475.0K

109.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$868 IQD 1.3M

178.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$491 IQD 741.2K

227.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$522 IQD 788.5K

13.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.53

120.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.3% 55.2% $171

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Al-mawsil

$133 22.3% 43.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 56.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al-mawsil

$126 21.1% 33.6% $32

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Al-mawsil

$65 10.8% 15.6% $12

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 37.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 1.7% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $212 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $11 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $133 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

01:30 1:30 AM

21:30 9:30 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,694 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al-mawsil 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $212 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $295 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.