Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baghdadi

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdadi: $640 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Baghdadi
Learn more

Baghdadi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Baghdadi

🇮🇶 Iraq

$640

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $640 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Baghdadi $640

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $974 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Baghdadi $974

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,308 in Baghdadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Baghdadi $1,308

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Baghdadi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Baghdadi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Baghdadi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.20 IQD 6,342

-46.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$14.09 IQD 21.3K

34.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.28 IQD 9,486

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.93 IQD 2,917

-13.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.39 IQD 583

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.22 IQD 333

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.57 IQD 5,399

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.38 IQD 3,591

53.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.02 IQD 1,548

91.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.49 IQD 735

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.63 IQD 3,980

-49.43%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.81 IQD 2,740

25.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$3.90 IQD 5,896

321.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.24 IQD 4,892

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.07 IQD 12.2K

15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$0.94 IQD 1,426

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.98 IQD 1,488

-1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.90 IQD 1,363

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.63 IQD 951

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.54 IQD 823

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.64 IQD 962

71.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.48 IQD 732

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.54 IQD 815

-9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.72 IQD 2,594

140.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$11.12 IQD 16.8K

57.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.55 IQD 2,336

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.67 IQD 2,528

66.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.34 IQD 518

155.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.80 IQD 2,717

-35.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.20 IQD 1,818

-55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.54 IQD 8,366

-56.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.54 IQD 819

168.52%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$16.4K IQD 24.7M

28.64%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$14.4K IQD 21.7M

87.27%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$85.6 IQD 129.3K

-27.35%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$28.37 IQD 42.9K

-29.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$36.26 IQD 54.8K

2.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.25 IQD 14.0K

-29.84%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$146 IQD 220.8K

403.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,812 IQD 4.2M

425.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$21.15 IQD 32.0K

152.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$21.56 IQD 32.6K

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$59.6 IQD 90.1K

53.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$37.21 IQD 56.2K

93.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$211 IQD 318.8K

128.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$140 IQD 211.6K

120.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$378 IQD 571.2K

166.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$313 IQD 472.2K

102.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$872 IQD 1.3M

171.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$492 IQD 743.8K

222.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$491 IQD 741.5K

20.17%

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 Baghdadi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Baghdadi

$140 21.9% 54.7% $169

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Baghdadi

$147 23% 37.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Baghdadi

$63 9.8% 42.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Baghdadi

$126 19.6% 32.9% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Baghdadi

$101 15.7% 29.7% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Baghdadi

$9.2 * 1.4% 85% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Baghdadi

$55 8.6% 8.9% $4.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $211 in Baghdadi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $14 in Baghdadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $147 – making Baghdadi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇶 Baghdadi

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baghdadi 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baghdadi

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 Baghdadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $960 in Baghdadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Baghdadi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $211 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $14 in Baghdadi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Baghdadi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Baghdadi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.