Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al-musayyib

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-musayyib: $768 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Al-musayyib
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Al-musayyib Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Al-musayyib

🇮🇶 Iraq

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $768 in Al-musayyib.

Chiang Mai $936
Al-musayyib $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,152 in Al-musayyib.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Al-musayyib $1,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,536 in Al-musayyib.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Al-musayyib $1,536

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 22% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Al-musayyib 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.50 IQD 6,793

-50.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$25.91 IQD 39.1K

-26.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.43 IQD 9,721

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.82 IQD 4,267

-40.78%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.38 IQD 576

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.22 IQD 332

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.33 IQD 5,026

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.25 IQD 4,904

12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.90 IQD 1,359

116.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.67 IQD 1,019

114.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.30 IQD 1,971

2.31%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.29 IQD 1,951

76.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$3.42 IQD 5,163

380.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.28 IQD 4,962

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.03 IQD 15.1K

-7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.02 IQD 1,540

130.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.90 IQD 1,357

7.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.94 IQD 1,415

70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.48 IQD 721

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.54 IQD 817

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.48 IQD 732

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.48 IQD 730

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.34 IQD 518

44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.68 IQD 2,531

146.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.98 IQD 18.1K

46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.89 IQD 2,862

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.87 IQD 2,831

48.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.32 IQD 480

171.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.01 IQD 3,043

-42.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.30 IQD 1,961

-59.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.75 IQD 10.2K

-64.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.55 IQD 825

163.64%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

27.41%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

62.94%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$187 IQD 282.9K

-66.79%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$19.82 IQD 30.0K

-38.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$38.37 IQD 58.0K

-47.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$33.70 IQD 50.9K

10.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.19 IQD 15.4K

-36.31%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$146 IQD 220.6K

404.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$3,199 IQD 4.8M

361.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$25.73 IQD 38.9K

107.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$33.53 IQD 50.7K

-26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

55.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$41.11 IQD 62.1K

74.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$206 IQD 311.9K

133.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$127 IQD 192.6K

142.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$321 IQD 485.3K

213.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$308 IQD 465.5K

105.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$974 IQD 1.5M

142.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$537 IQD 811.4K

195.89%

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-musayyib: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Al-musayyib

$127 16.6% 58.7% $181

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Al-musayyib

$145 18.9% 38% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Al-musayyib

$72 9.3% 34% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Al-musayyib

$245 31.9% 160% $151

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Al-musayyib

$115 14.9% 47.8% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Al-musayyib

$9.8 * 1.3% 84.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Al-musayyib

$54 7% 7.5% $3.8

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 $206 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $26 in Al-musayyib. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $145, with Al-musayyib cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Al-musayyib

🕒 Local time

01:07 1:07 AM

21:07 9:07 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

279,939

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Al-musayyib

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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Al-musayyib differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($936 vs $768 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,153 in Al-musayyib 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 $206 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $146 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $26 in Al-musayyib. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Al-musayyib gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.