Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,001 in Baghdad, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baghdad outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

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

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

Chiang Mai $938
Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Baghdad $1,943

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 6% less than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Baghdad 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.27 IQD 6,445

-47.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

-34.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

-17.43%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.65 IQD 4,003

-35.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.35 IQD 530

82.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.20 IQD 302

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.26 IQD 4,927

-27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.22 IQD 4,868

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.97 IQD 1,466

111.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.73 IQD 1,097

91.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.33 IQD 2,003

-3.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.68 IQD 2,534

33.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$3.25 IQD 4,912

421.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.10 IQD 6,192

-33.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

-24.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.01 IQD 1,523

137.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.98 IQD 1,487

3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.96 IQD 1,444

67.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.69 IQD 1,045

120.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.56 IQD 842

128.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.57 IQD 855

94.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.53 IQD 806

35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.62 IQD 943

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.68 IQD 2,534

157.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.89 IQD 2,863

-13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.90 IQD 2,876

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.57 IQD 858

49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

167.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$2.01 IQD 3,038

-41.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$1.34 IQD 2,029

-57.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.54 IQD 9,887

-63.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.54 IQD 810

168.52%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

25.56%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

59.88%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$189 IQD 285.6K

-67.02%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

-29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

-45.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

-8.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

-79.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

-30.39%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$145 IQD 218.9K

450.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

386.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

114.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

-12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

53.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

76.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$513 IQD 774.7K

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$322 IQD 485.8K

-5.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$881 IQD 1.3M

3.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$595 IQD 899.0K

-7.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

-55.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

-0.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$499 IQD 753.9K

19.30%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Baghdad

$322 32.1% 5.5% $17

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Baghdad

$164 16.4% 31.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Baghdad

$70 7% 36.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Baghdad

$243 24.3% 157% $148

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Baghdad

$111 11.1% 40.7% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Baghdad

$31 3.1% 49.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Baghdad

$61 6.1% 18.4% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 19% 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 $29.00 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $164, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

15:45 3:45 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

7,216,040 Capital

💱 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 = 5.89 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 = 37.58 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 = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Baghdad 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $513 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 168% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,001 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 $938 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 7% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.