Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al Rehab

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Rehab: $560 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Al Rehab
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Al Rehab Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Al Rehab

🇪🇬 Egypt

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $560 in Al Rehab, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Al Rehab $560

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $891 in Al Rehab, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Al Rehab $891

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,223 in Al Rehab, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Al Rehab $1,223

Chiang Mai costs about 65% more than Al Rehab, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Al Rehab are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Al Rehab 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.61 E£246

-50.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$18.65 E£996

5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.49 E£240

24.94%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.71 E£91.1

-2.92%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.34 E£17.94

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.14 E£7.33

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.24 E£66.1

94.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.28 E£122

62.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.96 E£51.3

103.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.59 E£31.40

138.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.66 E£35.44

98.48%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.32 E£70.7

65.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.09 E£218

307.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.04 E£216

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.75 E£467

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.60 E£85.4

49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.76 E£40.40

35.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.54 E£28.74

201.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.50 E£26.62

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.37 E£19.98

248.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.40 E£21.60

177.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.44 E£23.35

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.21 E£11.43

152.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.90 E£101

126.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.35 E£339

182.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.91 E£48.85

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.06 E£110

37.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.40 E£21.42

115.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$9.25 E£494

476.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.31 E£16.38

290.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.17 E£9.10

235.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.52 E£81.3

54.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.44 E£23.38

227.27%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$32.0K E£1.7M

-35.16%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$22.8K E£1.2M

17.67%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$25.31 E£1,351

146.27%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$8.02 E£428

51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$14.34 E£766

39.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$16.01 E£855

131.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$5.66 E£302

-33.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.09 E£219

58.92%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$27.94 E£1,492

2736.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$747 E£39.9K

1881.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$23.26 E£1,242

131.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$42.94 E£2,293

-42.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$101 E£5,396

-10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$59.2 E£3,161

20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$215 E£11.5K

111.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$163 E£8,723

82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$318 E£17.0K

185.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$306 E£16.3K

81.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$753 E£40.2K

156.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$770 E£41.1K

87.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$112 E£5,980

427.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.21

-65.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Al Rehab: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Al Rehab

$163 29.2% 45.2% $134

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Al Rehab

$127 22.7% 46.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Al Rehab

$102 18.2% 5.8% $6.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Al Rehab

$48 8.5% 49.5% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Al Rehab

$83 14.9% 6.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Al Rehab

$12 2.2% 80.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Al Rehab

$24 4.3% 51.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $215 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 428% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Al Rehab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $127 – making Al Rehab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Al Rehab

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

23:17 11:17 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

699,541

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al Rehab 6,760 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al Rehab

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 Rehab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 65% more than Al Rehab, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $839 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 $925 in Chiang Mai and $560 in Al Rehab. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 476% less in Al Rehab. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Rehab, where all-in costs run around $560, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Al Rehab it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al Rehab costs $560 versus $925 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.