Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bandar Abbas

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Abbas: $575 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Abbas
Learn more

Bandar Abbas Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bandar Abbas

🇮🇷 Iran

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bandar Abbas

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $575 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Bandar Abbas $575

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $888 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bandar Abbas $888

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,200 in Bandar Abbas, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bandar Abbas $1,200

Chiang Mai costs about 63% more than Bandar Abbas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Bandar Abbas are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bandar Abbas 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$2.92 $2.92

-27.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$16.17 $16.17

15.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.89 $3.89

43.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.12 $1.12

48.21%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.52 $0.52

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$1.02 $1.02

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$0.66 $0.66

206.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.51 $0.51

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$2.03 $2.03

-31.53%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.23 $1.23

92.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$4.34 $4.34

280.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.32 $3.32

-19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$10.42 $10.42

-13.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.08 $1.08

122.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.53 $1.53

-32.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.86 $0.86

93.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.57 $0.57

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.55 $0.55

125.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.47 $0.47

131.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.56 $0.56

35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.24 $0.24

112.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.51 $2.51

64.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.17 $0.17

447.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$9.44 $9.44

460.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$0.38 $0.38

210.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.29 $0.29

-41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.52 $2.52

-28.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$50.9K $50.9K

-58.73%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$45.0K $45.0K

-41.06%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$13.27 $13.27

371.44%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$1.53 $1.53

658.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$3.94 $3.94

415.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$18.33 $18.33

106.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.38 $13.38

-72.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.03 $2.03

220.69%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$108 $108

574.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$2,422 $2,422

584.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$22.79 $22.79

134.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$28.68 $28.68

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$96.0 $96.0

-5.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$73.3 $73.3

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$343 $343

40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$254 $254

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$811 $811

30.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$407 $407

61.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,150 $1,150

110.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$546 $546

194.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$180 $180

231.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bandar Abbas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bandar Abbas

$254 44.2% 18% $56

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bandar Abbas

$114 19.8% 51.8% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bandar Abbas

$99 17.3% 8.3% $9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bandar Abbas

$19 3.3% 80.2% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bandar Abbas

$55 9.5% 28.7% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bandar Abbas

$12 2.1% 79.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bandar Abbas

$22 3.9% 56% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $343 in Bandar Abbas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Bandar Abbas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $114 – making Bandar Abbas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Bandar Abbas

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

526,648

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bandar Abbas 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bandar Abbas

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 Bandar Abbas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 63%, 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 $863 in Bandar Abbas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bandar Abbas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $343 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $575 in Bandar Abbas. That makes Bandar Abbas about 38% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Bandar Abbas. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bandar Abbas. 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.