Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $452 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇪🇬 Egypt

$452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Alexandria

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $452 in Alexandria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Alexandria $452

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $750 in Alexandria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Alexandria $750

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,048 in Alexandria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Alexandria $1,048

Chiang Mai costs about 105% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Alexandria are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Alexandria 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.22 E£225

-45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$18.66 E£996

5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.74 E£253

18.35%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.26 E£67.3

31.75%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.30 E£15.96

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.12 E£6.31

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.33 E£70.9

81.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.74 E£146

35.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.84 E£44.97

132.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.71 E£37.73

98.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.58 E£30.74

125.86%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.10 E£59.0

98.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.66 E£195

354.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.19 E£224

-34.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.17 E£490

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.46 E£77.7

63.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.78 E£41.63

32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.51 E£27.48

219.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.34 E£18.27

341.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.24 E£12.77

437.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.30 E£15.98

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.27 E£14.47

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.22 E£11.93

140.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.86 E£99.6

131.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.62 E£300

219.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.16 E£61.9

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.15 E£115

32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.22 E£11.66

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$10.95 E£585

386.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.57 E£30.48

112.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.49 E£26.19

16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.11 E£59.1

111.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.45 E£24.16

220.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$32.8K E£1.8M

-36.75%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$25.2K E£1.3M

6.45%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$14.02 E£749

344.58%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.60 E£353

83.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$12.75 E£681

56.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$12.39 E£662

199.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$7.31 E£390

-48.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.73 E£146

138.10%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$85.2 E£4,549

830.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,035 E£108.6K

627.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$32.61 E£1,741

64.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$45.28 E£2,418

-45.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$125 E£6,687

-27.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$54.9 E£2,933

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$131 E£7,020

246.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$69.3 E£3,702

329.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$279 E£14.9K

225.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$142 E£7,603

288.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$679 E£36.2K

184.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$431 E£23.0K

235.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$137 E£7,313

331.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Alexandria

$69 15.3% 76.7% $229

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Alexandria

$124 27.4% 47.4% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Alexandria

$116 25.7% 7.4% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Alexandria

$33 7.4% 64.6% $61

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Alexandria

$77 17% 2.2% $1.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Alexandria

$15 3.3% 75.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Alexandria

$18 4% 64.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $131 in Alexandria. 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 331% 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 Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $124 – making Alexandria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,546,231

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Alexandria 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Alexandria

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 105% more than Alexandria, 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 $678 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $85.2 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandria, where all-in costs run around $452, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Alexandria 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. Alexandria costs $452 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 Alexandria. 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.