Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Mubarraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Al Mubarraz
Learn more

Al Mubarraz Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Al Mubarraz

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,251 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Al Mubarraz $1,251

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,894 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Al Mubarraz $1,894

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,538 in Al Mubarraz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Al Mubarraz $2,538

Chiang Mai is about 25% cheaper than Al Mubarraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Mubarraz are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al Mubarraz 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$7.36 SAR 27.64

-71.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$36.62 SAR 137

-49.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.00 SAR 30.03

-30.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$4.47 SAR 16.76

-62.86%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.67 SAR 2.52

-2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.28 SAR 1.06

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.73 SAR 6.50

16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$1.33 SAR 4.99

6.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$2.47 SAR 9.27

-43.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$2.99 SAR 11.21

-20.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$10.63 SAR 39.90

55.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$9.59 SAR 36.01

-72.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$14.99 SAR 56.3

-39.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.93 SAR 10.98

-18.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-44.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$2.51 SAR 9.41

-33.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-12.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$1.17 SAR 4.38

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.33 SAR 4.99

-18.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$1.76 SAR 6.59

-56.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.58 SAR 2.17

-12.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SAR 9.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$7.59 SAR 28.48

-45.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$1.02 SAR 3.82

-8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$32.07 SAR 120

64.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.27 SAR 12.27

-63.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-91.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$13.53 SAR 50.8

-86.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.64 SAR 2.40

129.69%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

-20.12%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

21.63%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$107 SAR 402

-41.53%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$29.24 SAR 110

-60.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$70.4 SAR 264

-71.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$78.5 SAR 295

-51.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$13.68 SAR 51.3

-52.41%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$552 SAR 2,073

31.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$16.5K SAR 62.0K

0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$57.6 SAR 216

-6.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$54.6 SAR 205

-54.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$103 SAR 386

-12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$104 SAR 392

-31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$557 SAR 2,092

-13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$363 SAR 1,363

-14.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$914 SAR 3,432

15.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$611 SAR 2,293

7.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,728 SAR 6,485

39.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,143 SAR 4,289

40.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,069 SAR 4,011

-44.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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 Mubarraz: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Al Mubarraz

$363 29% 17.1% $53

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Al Mubarraz

$242 19.4% 2.4% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Al Mubarraz

$144 11.5% 32.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al Mubarraz

$207 16.5% 119% $112

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Al Mubarraz

$140 11.2% 83.3% $64

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Al Mubarraz

$49 3.9% 16.7% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Al Mubarraz

$106 8.5% 108% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $557 in Al Mubarraz. 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 80% higher in Al Mubarraz. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $37 in Al Mubarraz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $242 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Al Mubarraz

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

290,802

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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 = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Mubarraz 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Mubarraz

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 Mubarraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $1,251 in Al Mubarraz – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,876 in Al Mubarraz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $557 in Al Mubarraz.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $37 in Al Mubarraz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Al Mubarraz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,251 in Al Mubarraz. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,251 in Al Mubarraz. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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