Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ba'qubah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba'qubah: $524 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Ba'qubah
Learn more

Ba'qubah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Ba'qubah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ba'qubah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $524 in Ba'qubah.

Chiang Mai $938
Ba'qubah $524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $826 in Ba'qubah.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Ba'qubah $826

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,128 in Ba'qubah.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Ba'qubah $1,128

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 79% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Ba'qubah 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.18 IQD 6,323

-45.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

44.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.70 IQD 8,615

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.01 IQD 1,520

70.30%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.47 IQD 707

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.18 IQD 266

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.66 IQD 2,516

42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.05 IQD 6,113

-3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.03 IQD 1,559

99.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.47 IQD 704

197.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.03 IQD 1,552

24.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.27 IQD 1,924

77.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$2.00 IQD 3,016

747.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.10 IQD 3,179

30.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.09 IQD 13.7K

2.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.84 IQD 1,266

185.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.93 IQD 1,402

8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.85 IQD 1,290

89.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.47 IQD 711

223.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.51 IQD 776

150.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.60 IQD 908

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.43 IQD 648

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.15 IQD 220

246.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.20 IQD 3,326

96.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.64 IQD 16.1K

66.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.45 IQD 2,197

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.80 IQD 2,722

58.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.43 IQD 644

97.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$18.36 IQD 27.7K

193.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.61 IQD 2,427

-27.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.57 IQD 2,368

-63.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.71 IQD 7,120

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.31 IQD 473

367.74%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

24.69%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$17.4K IQD 26.3M

52.40%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$50.1 IQD 75.6K

24.51%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

1.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$22.83 IQD 34.5K

-12.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$16.53 IQD 25.0K

129.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.36 IQD 5,078

99.70%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$22.77 IQD 34.4K

3400.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$555 IQD 838.8K

2571.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

221.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$16.76 IQD 25.3K

49.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$60.1 IQD 90.9K

52.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$22.70 IQD 34.3K

223.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$178 IQD 268.4K

161.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$130 IQD 197.1K

133.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$371 IQD 560.2K

146.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$308 IQD 465.5K

79.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$704 IQD 1.1M

171.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$579 IQD 874.1K

148.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$627 IQD 946.7K

-5.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.53

120.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Ba'qubah

$130 24.9% 57.2% $174

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Ba'qubah

$122 23.3% 48.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Ba'qubah

$52 10% 52.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Ba'qubah

$85 16.2% 10.1% $9.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Ba'qubah

$82 15.6% 3.3% $2.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Ba'qubah

$30 5.6% 51.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Ba'qubah

$23 4.4% 54.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $13.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $122 per month, with Ba'qubah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Ba'qubah

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

268,866

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.63 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ba'qubah 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ba'qubah

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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Ba'qubah. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $178 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Ba'qubah versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.