Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aqaba

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Aqaba: $936 and $916 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Aqaba
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Aqaba Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Aqaba

🇯🇴 Jordan

$916

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $916 in Aqaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Aqaba $916

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,507 in Aqaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Aqaba $1,507

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,098 in Aqaba, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Aqaba $2,098

Chiang Mai and Aqaba have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Aqaba are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Aqaba 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.75 JOD 1.95

-18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$71.2 JOD 50.4

-73.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.17 JOD 2.95

33.09%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.46 JOD 3.16

-62.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.59 JOD 0.42

8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.58 JOD 0.41

-46.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.58 JOD 6.07

-72.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$11.05 JOD 7.82

-66.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.45 JOD 1.02

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.47 JOD 0.33

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.54 JOD 1.09

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.73 JOD 1.22

31.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.69 JOD 4.03

189.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.20 JOD 2.97

-33.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.65 JOD 6.83

-3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.39 JOD 0.99

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.08 JOD 0.77

48.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.74 JOD 0.53

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.74 JOD 0.52

72.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.73 JOD 0.51

50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.59 JOD 0.42

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.57 JOD 0.41

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.92 JOD 2.78

5.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$17.26 JOD 12.22

1.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.81 JOD 1.99

-42.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.52 JOD 1.79

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.50 JOD 0.36

132.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.37 JOD 0.97

-61.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.91 JOD 4.89

-64.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.44 JOD 1.02

0.69%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$31.5K JOD 22.3K

-33.06%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$31.2K JOD 22.1K

-13.79%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$135 JOD 95.4

-53.86%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$15.70 JOD 11.12

-22.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$32.92 JOD 23.31

-38.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$64.3 JOD 45.53

-41.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.12 JOD 7.87

-41.64%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$538 JOD 381

36.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,836 JOD 2,008

420.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$28.03 JOD 19.84

90.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$42.43 JOD 30.04

-41.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$42.20 JOD 29.88

116.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$70.0 JOD 49.53

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$286 JOD 202

68.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$209 JOD 148

47.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$681 JOD 482

47.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$463 JOD 328

36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,119 JOD 792

111.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$565 JOD 400

181.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$564 JOD 399

4.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.94

-19.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aqaba: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Aqaba

$209 22.9% 32.2% $99

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Aqaba

$189 20.7% 19.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Aqaba

$82 9% 24.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Aqaba

$183 20% 94.1% $89

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Aqaba

$158 17.2% 103% $80

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Aqaba

$7.4 * 0.8% 88% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Aqaba

$87 9.5% 72.1% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $286 in Aqaba. 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 5% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $71 in Aqaba. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Aqaba – so Aqaba wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇯🇴 Aqaba

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

140,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Jordanian Dinar JOD د.ا

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 JOD = 1.41 USD

1 JOD = 1.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JOD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Jordanian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.708 JOD (1 JOD = 1.41 USD). 1 EUR = 0.791 JOD (1 JOD = 1.26 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Aqaba 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Aqaba

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 Aqaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,374 in Aqaba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aqaba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $286 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $71 in Aqaba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $538 in Aqaba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Aqaba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Aqaba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.