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: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $685 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,077 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,468 in As Salt.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 36% more expensive than in As Salt, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, As Salt 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.2

$4.89 JOD 3.46

-57.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿652

$21.12 JOD 14.95

-7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$7.22 JOD 5.11

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.0

$2.17 JOD 1.53

-16.59%

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

$0.77 ฿25.55

$0.38 JOD 0.27

102.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.48

$0.29 JOD 0.21

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$5.58 JOD 3.95

-60.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$4.25 JOD 3.00

-10.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.1

$1.25 JOD 0.89

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$0.31 JOD 0.22

387.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.51

$1.52 JOD 1.07

-7.89%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.1

$1.73 JOD 1.23

30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$4.72 JOD 3.34

243.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.31 JOD 2.34

-12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

$12.84 JOD 9.08

-26.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.1

$1.56 JOD 1.11

71.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.23

$1.45 JOD 1.03

-24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.45 JOD 1.03

11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.55

$0.77 JOD 0.54

89.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.48

$0.75 JOD 0.53

70.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.17

$0.55 JOD 0.39

92.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.85

$0.47 JOD 0.33

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.49

$0.58 JOD 0.41

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.62 JOD 2.56

16.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

$14.21 JOD 10.06

28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$4.12 JOD 2.92

-60.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

$4.98 JOD 3.53

-41.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

$0.86 JOD 0.61

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

$28.76 JOD 20.36

86.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$0.57 JOD 0.41

105.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.22

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-59.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.3

$6.89 JOD 4.87

-65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.22

$1.36 JOD 0.96

6.62%

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

$21.0K ฿698.6K

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

0.05%

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

$26.4K ฿878.6K

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

4.16%

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

$63.7 ฿2,116

$34.59 JOD 24.48

84.01%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$11.14 JOD 7.89

15.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿682

$14.23 JOD 10.07

44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

$28.02 JOD 19.83

39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$35.55 JOD 25.16

-88.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$7.16 JOD 5.07

-8.10%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$139 JOD 98.0

465.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.9K

$8,573 JOD 6,067

71.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,833

$24.71 JOD 17.48

123.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿823

$49.75 JOD 35.21

-50.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,130

$50.1 JOD 35.44

87.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,459

$28.55 JOD 20.20

159.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$141 JOD 100

246.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

$153 JOD 109

87.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$248 JOD 175

260.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$279 JOD 198

86.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$562 JOD 398

6.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.81

-18.21%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for As Salt: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $141 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 7% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $21.00 in As Salt. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $195, 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 36% 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.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $141 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 $21.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $685 in As Salt – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in As Salt versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 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 36% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.