Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Algiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $583 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
Learn more

Algiers Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$583

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $583 in Algiers.

Chiang Mai $938
Algiers $583

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $963 in Algiers.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Algiers $963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,342 in Algiers.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Algiers $1,342

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 61% more expensive than in Algiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Algiers 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.44 DZD 460

-34.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$28.38 DZD 3,799

-32.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.26 DZD 571

31.22%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.08 DZD 145

59.26%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.63 DZD 83.9

1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.29 DZD 39.03

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.20 DZD 295

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.20 DZD 294

77.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.90 DZD 121

127.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.14 DZD 19.22

900.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.16 DZD 156

10.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.18 DZD 159

90.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.15 DZD 1,090

107.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.06 DZD 544

-32.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.35 DZD 1,922

-34.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.03 DZD 272

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.72 DZD 364

-62.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.11 DZD 149

45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.95 DZD 128

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.58 DZD 77.3

120.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.45 DZD 60.0

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.76 DZD 101

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.27 DZD 36.54

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.02 DZD 405

43.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$6.55 DZD 877

170.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.29 DZD 172

26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.86 DZD 249

53.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.39 DZD 52.4

117.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$6.71 DZD 898

703.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.55 DZD 73.1

112.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.47 DZD 62.4

21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$5.45 DZD 730

-56.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.35 DZD 47.14

314.29%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$35.7K DZD 4.8M

-42.66%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$34.1K DZD 4.6M

-22.15%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$43.97 DZD 5,886

41.76%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.41 DZD 1,260

30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$12.33 DZD 1,650

61.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$25.22 DZD 3,376

50.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$27.41 DZD 3,669

-86.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.39 DZD 588

52.85%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$555 DZD 74.3K

43.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,363 DZD 851.9K

133.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$32.70 DZD 4,378

62.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$34.43 DZD 4,609

-27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$67.6 DZD 9,050

35.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$80.8 DZD 10.8K

-9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$161 DZD 21.6K

188.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$128 DZD 17.1K

138.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$431 DZD 57.8K

112.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$236 DZD 31.6K

134.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,513 DZD 336.4K

-23.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,368 DZD 183.1K

5.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$329 DZD 44.0K

81.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Algiers: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Algiers

$128 21.9% 58.1% $177

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Algiers

$175 30.1% 26.3% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Algiers

$97 16.6% 11.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Algiers

$66 11.3% 30.5% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Algiers

$72 12.4% 8.4% $6.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Algiers

$11 1.9% 81.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Algiers

$34 5.8% 33.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $161 in Algiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 81% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $28.00 in Algiers. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $175, with Algiers cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Algiers

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,415,811 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Algiers 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Algiers

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 Algiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 81% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $161 in Algiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Chiang Mai versus $583 in Algiers – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $583 in Algiers versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers 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 Algiers 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 Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.