Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Az Zubayr

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $656 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Az Zubayr
Learn more

Az Zubayr Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Az Zubayr

🇮🇶 Iraq

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Az Zubayr

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $656 in Az Zubayr.

Chiang Mai $936
Az Zubayr $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,021 in Az Zubayr.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Az Zubayr $1,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,387 in Az Zubayr.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Az Zubayr $1,387

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 43% more expensive than in Az Zubayr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Az Zubayr 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.37 IQD 6,602

-48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.52 IQD 29.5K

-2.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.58 IQD 8,436

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.65 IQD 4,001

-36.98%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.33 IQD 497

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.20 IQD 297

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.38 IQD 5,107

-30.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.28 IQD 3,447

60.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.00 IQD 1,513

95.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.76 IQD 1,152

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.59 IQD 2,399

-16.35%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.46 IQD 2,203

56.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$4.38 IQD 6,621

275.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.43 IQD 5,189

-18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

-22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.07 IQD 1,623

119.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.99 IQD 1,502

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.03 IQD 1,561

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.66 IQD 994

127.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.57 IQD 855

124.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.67 IQD 1,012

64.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.56 IQD 852

26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.44 IQD 671

11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.47 IQD 2,225

181.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.27 IQD 17.0K

55.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.42 IQD 2,149

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.62 IQD 2,450

71.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.32 IQD 479

171.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.68 IQD 2,543

-30.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.12 IQD 1,698

-52.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$5.39 IQD 8,146

-55.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.53 IQD 803

173.58%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$15.9K IQD 24.0M

32.71%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

63.58%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$94.9 IQD 143.4K

-34.48%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$27.28 IQD 41.2K

-26.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.31 IQD 59.4K

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$7.83 IQD 11.8K

-17.11%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$137 IQD 206.7K

438.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,772 IQD 4.2M

432.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$18.27 IQD 27.6K

192.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$21.75 IQD 32.9K

13.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$53.7 IQD 81.2K

70.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

83.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$200 IQD 302.7K

140.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$133 IQD 200.3K

133.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$418 IQD 631.5K

140.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$315 IQD 476.0K

101.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$833 IQD 1.3M

183.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$479 IQD 723.6K

231.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Az Zubayr: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Az Zubayr

$133 20.2% 57.1% $176

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Az Zubayr

$159 24.2% 32.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Az Zubayr

$60 9.1% 44.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Az Zubayr

$134 20.4% 41.7% $39

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Az Zubayr

$107 16.3% 38% $29

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Az Zubayr

$8.6 * 1.3% 86% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Az Zubayr

$55 8.4% 9.3% $4.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $20 in Az Zubayr. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $159, with Az Zubayr cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Az Zubayr

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

370,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Az Zubayr 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Az Zubayr

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 Zubayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $656 in Az Zubayr, so Az Zubayr is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $983 in Az Zubayr to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $200 in Az Zubayr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $656 in Az Zubayr – Az Zubayr is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Az Zubayr gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.