Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baabda

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,008 in Baabda, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. The total is higher in Baabda despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Baabda
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Baabda Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Baabda

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Baabda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,008 in Baabda.

Chiang Mai $938
Baabda $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,611 in Baabda.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Baabda $1,611

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $2,213 in Baabda.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Baabda $2,213

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 7% less than in Baabda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Baabda 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.98 LBP 1.1M

-81.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

-71.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$10.08 LBP 901.9K

-44.54%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.60 LBP 411.8K

-62.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.40 LBP 214.7K

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.85 LBP 76.3K

-61.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$4.92 LBP 440.0K

-52.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.79 LBP 428.4K

-18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.97 LBP 176.3K

4.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.91 LBP 81.9K

53.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.34 LBP 209.0K

-45.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.67 LBP 328.8K

-38.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.96 LBP 980.6K

54.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$10.50 LBP 940.1K

-73.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.97 LBP 1.3M

-37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.03 LBP 271.5K

-20.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.71 LBP 153.5K

-40.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.69 LBP 150.8K

-4.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.51 LBP 135.5K

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.26 LBP 112.6K

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

-30.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.20 LBP 107.7K

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.73 LBP 65.0K

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.02 LBP 270.6K

43.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$11.16 LBP 999.2K

58.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 LBP 114.9K

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.48 LBP 221.7K

14.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$4.93 LBP 441.6K

-76.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.30 LBP 205.9K

-75.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

-89.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

38.10%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-61.56%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

-18.81%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$236 LBP 21.2M

-73.64%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$22.34 LBP 2.0M

-45.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$37.79 LBP 3.4M

-47.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$10.08 LBP 901.9K

-33.43%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$686 LBP 61.4M

16.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$10.6K LBP 952.0M

39.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$68.9 LBP 6.2M

-22.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

-50.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$139 LBP 12.4M

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$118 LBP 10.6M

-38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Baabda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Baabda

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Baabda

$277 27.5% 16.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Baabda

$169 16.8% 54.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Baabda

$297 29.4% 214% $202

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Baabda

$228 22.7% 189% $149

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Baabda

$16 * 1.6% 73.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Baabda

$20 * 2% 60.8% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $68.0 in Baabda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $277 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Baabda

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

11:49 11:49 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

9,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Baabda 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baabda

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 Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Baabda differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $1,008 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Chiang Mai and $1,512 in Baabda 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.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $686 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $68.0 in Baabda. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,008 in Baabda, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Baabda. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Baabda 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Baabda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.