Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Chiang Mai $938
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 44% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Al-Rumaitha 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.62 IQD 5,465

-37.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

-17.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

-21.05%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.33 IQD 3,523

-26.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.31 IQD 471

106.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.19 IQD 286

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.91 IQD 4,398

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.60 IQD 3,936

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.86 IQD 1,298

138.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.78 IQD 1,185

79.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.37 IQD 2,063

-6.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.58 IQD 2,392

42.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$4.09 IQD 6,174

314.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.61 IQD 5,449

-24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

-22.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.92 IQD 1,384

160.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.95 IQD 1,428

6.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.84 IQD 1,268

91.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.66 IQD 1,002

130.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.56 IQD 844

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.56 IQD 849

98.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.56 IQD 839

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.47 IQD 717

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.63 IQD 2,468

165.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

65.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.40 IQD 2,120

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.78 IQD 2,691

60.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.42 IQD 639

102.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

144.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.80 IQD 2,724

-35.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.34 IQD 2,031

-57.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.81 IQD 7,268

-50.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.51 IQD 766

184.31%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

37.04%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

57.09%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

-29.65%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

1.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

-19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

1.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$3.39 IQD 5,120

10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

-27.07%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$128 IQD 193.8K

521.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

452.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

156.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

18.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

95.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

138.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$178 IQD 269.0K

160.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$128 IQD 194.1K

137.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$373 IQD 564.1K

145.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$308 IQD 465.9K

79.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$629 IQD 951.1K

203.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$532 IQD 803.7K

170.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.33

67.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 57.8% $176

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 35.2% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 50.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 32.8% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 26.5% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 47.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 8.5% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $154, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

115,431

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Al-Rumaitha 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $975 in Al-Rumaitha 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: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Chiang Mai versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 144% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Rumaitha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Al-Rumaitha are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Al-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.