Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and As Salt Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and As Salt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $693 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $1,070 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $1,447 in As Salt.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 25% more expensive than As Salt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, As Salt 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$4.12 JOD 2.92

-51.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$21.53 JOD 15.24

-12.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$7.00 JOD 4.96

10.71%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.42 JOD 1.01

35.21%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.37 JOD 0.26

113.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.29 JOD 0.21

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$5.50 JOD 3.90

-59.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.33 JOD 3.06

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.37 JOD 0.97

20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.33 JOD 0.24

393.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$1.71 JOD 1.21

-30.41%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.71 JOD 1.21

16.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$4.32 JOD 3.06

269.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.25 JOD 3.01

-28.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$11.27 JOD 7.98

-3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.38 JOD 0.98

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.43 JOD 1.01

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.38 JOD 0.97

18.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.53 JOD 0.38

186.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.68 JOD 0.48

102.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.74 JOD 0.52

60.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.64 JOD 0.45

9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.58 JOD 0.41

-3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$3.63 JOD 2.57

26.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$14.20 JOD 10.05

16.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$4.82 JOD 3.41

-62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$5.52 JOD 3.91

-42.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.85 JOD 0.60

3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$28.39 JOD 20.09

-34.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.58 JOD 0.41

134.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$1.39 JOD 0.98

-3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$7.23 JOD 5.12

8.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.31 JOD 0.93

-6.11%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$21.4K JOD 15.2K

0.87%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$25.6K JOD 18.1K

-11.95%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$34.73 JOD 24.58

103.11%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$11.14 JOD 7.89

22.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$14.32 JOD 10.13

21.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$32.41 JOD 22.94

27.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$35.86 JOD 25.38

-80.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$8.97 JOD 6.35

-35.67%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$143 JOD 102

114.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$5,295 JOD 3,748

175.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$24.75 JOD 17.52

125.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$48.94 JOD 34.64

-46.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$49.31 JOD 34.90

73.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$28.73 JOD 20.33

151.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$140 JOD 99.1

206.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$157 JOD 111

52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$244 JOD 173

234.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$279 JOD 197

83.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$555 JOD 393

11.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

-31.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for As Salt: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $140 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 12% 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 $22.00 in As Salt. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $199, with As Salt cheaper for home cooking.

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 As Salt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiang Mai pays 12% more on average, 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $140 in As Salt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $22.00 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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai versus $693 in As Salt – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though As Salt gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $693 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and As Salt 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 As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.