Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Az-zabadani

For one person, living is cheaper in Az-zabadani: $643 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Az-zabadani
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Az-zabadani Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Az-zabadani

🇸🇾 Syria

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Az-zabadani

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 Az-zabadani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $643 in Az-zabadani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Az-zabadani $643

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,016 in Az-zabadani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Az-zabadani $1,016

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,390 in Az-zabadani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Az-zabadani $1,390

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Az-zabadani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Az-zabadani are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Az-zabadani 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$9.98 SYP 1,212

-78.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$42.01 SYP 5,105

-55.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.91 SYP 840

-18.96%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.82 SYP 464

-56.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$2.20 SYP 267

-70.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.82 SYP 99.4

-63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$1.96 SYP 238

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.04 SYP 491

-9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.02 SYP 124

98.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.45 SYP 54.7

213.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$1.53 SYP 186

-9.15%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$1.58 SYP 192

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$3.98 SYP 483

315.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$5.68 SYP 690

-52.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$13.52 SYP 1,643

-33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.07 SYP 130

124.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.41 SYP 171

-26.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.14 SYP 139

45.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.06 SYP 129

47.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.74 SYP 90.3

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.76 SYP 92.0

43.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.40 SYP 48.57

90.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.66 SYP 80.0

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.69 SYP 327

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$4.93 SYP 599

263.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.14 SYP 139

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.80 SYP 340

0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$0.97 SYP 118

21.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.54 SYP 187

-88.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$7.74 SYP 940

-76.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$3.70 SYP 450

-60.27%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

39.09%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$18.9K SYP 2.3M

40.26%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$140 SYP 17.0K

-55.21%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$9.83 SYP 1,194

18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$46.53 SYP 5,654

-56.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$5.36 SYP 651

21.46%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$65.9 SYP 8,004

1003.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$1,782 SYP 216.6K

829.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$29.00 SYP 3,524

84.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$40.16 SYP 4,880

-38.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$61.0 SYP 7,407

48.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$58.4 SYP 7,096

23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.25

-60.91%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Az-zabadani: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Az-zabadani

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Az-zabadani

$166 25.9% 29.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Az-zabadani

$85 13.2% 21.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Az-zabadani

$196 30.5% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Az-zabadani

$176 27.4% 130% $100

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Az-zabadani

$8.7 * 1.4% 85.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Az-zabadani

$11 * 1.7% 78.9% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $42 in Az-zabadani. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $166 in Az-zabadani – so Az-zabadani wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇾 Az-zabadani

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

26,285

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Az-zabadani 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Az-zabadani

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 Az-zabadani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Az-zabadani, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $964 in Az-zabadani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $42 in Az-zabadani. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Az-zabadani, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Az-zabadani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $643 in Az-zabadani to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.