Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,054 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $1,592 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 18% less than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Baghdad 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$5.48 IQD 7,181

-64.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

-49.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$7.57 IQD 9,909

3.30%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$3.06 IQD 4,003

-36.27%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.40 IQD 518

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.18 IQD 242

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$3.42 IQD 4,485

-37.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.94 IQD 3,853

26.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$1.32 IQD 1,726

29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.78 IQD 1,017

108.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$1.65 IQD 2,166

-30.91%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.79 IQD 2,350

7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$4.40 IQD 5,763

268.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.07 IQD 6,636

-38.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

-23.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.23 IQD 1,612

123.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$1.17 IQD 1,530

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.01 IQD 1,329

60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.70 IQD 922

127.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.70 IQD 911

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.64 IQD 835

82.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.63 IQD 822

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.66 IQD 871

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.11 IQD 2,765

122.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

39.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.76 IQD 2,301

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.15 IQD 2,815

50.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.78 IQD 1,027

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

-32.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$3.88 IQD 5,087

-63.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$1.47 IQD 1,923

-12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

-0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.56 IQD 737

126.79%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

4.74%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

11.61%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$181 IQD 237.4K

-61.90%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

-44.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

-55.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

-0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

-62.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

-24.30%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$163 IQD 213.2K

83.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

318.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

91.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

34.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

62.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$540 IQD 707.6K

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$321 IQD 420.5K

-26.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$818 IQD 1.1M

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$580 IQD 759.9K

-11.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

-51.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

-8.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$642 IQD 841.2K

-3.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

-11.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $540 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 4% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $37.00 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $191, with Baghdad 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Baghdad earns 4% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $540 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 49% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $163 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,054 in Baghdad, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Baghdad 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 22% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.