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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $489 in Al Rehab, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $757 in Al Rehab, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,024 in Al Rehab, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Al Rehab, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Rehab are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Al Rehab 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$4.05 E£210

-52.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$14.01 E£727

33.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.62 E£240

69.26%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.47 E£76.2

32.65%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.32 E£16.44

165.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.14 E£7.41

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.42 E£73.7

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.80 E£145

33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.95 E£49.47

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.31 E£16.15

425.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.69 E£36.00

65.22%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.46 E£75.7

32.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.33 E£173

386.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.18 E£217

-25.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.45 E£439

28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.29 E£67.0

113.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.60 E£31.07

101.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.44 E£22.91

268.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.39 E£20.12

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.50 E£25.79

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.43 E£22.37

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.22 E£11.36

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.21 E£11.07

152.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.94 E£101

141.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$6.54 E£340

185.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.27 E£66.0

41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.79 E£92.9

80.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.20 E£10.44

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.41 E£21.47

243.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.31 E£16.28

316.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$0.97 E£50.3

708.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$0.30 E£15.54

323.33%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$36.6K E£1.9M

-41.89%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-27.79%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$24.46 E£1,269

182.38%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$9.74 E£505

44.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$12.80 E£664

40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$22.36 E£1,161

83.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.04 E£158

94.74%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$33.37 E£1,732

796.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,949 E£101.2K

667.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$23.77 E£1,234

130.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$42.08 E£2,184

-36.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$107 E£5,551

-20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$57.8 E£2,997

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$190 E£9,836

125.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$101 E£5,241

135.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$310 E£16.1K

158.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$178 E£9,230

189.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$770 E£39.9K

156.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$783 E£40.6K

88.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$116 E£6,032

431.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-75.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al Rehab: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $190 in Al Rehab. 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 431% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Al Rehab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $120 – making Al Rehab 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 Rehab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Al Rehab, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $733 in Al Rehab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Rehab, 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $489 in Al Rehab. 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 $33.37 in Al Rehab. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $489 in Al Rehab, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al Rehab costs $489 versus $866 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Rehab. 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.