Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,657 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
Learn more

Beirut Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,657 in Beirut.

Chiang Mai $936
Beirut $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,643 in Beirut.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Beirut $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,628 in Beirut.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Beirut $3,628

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 44% less than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Beirut is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$12.13 LBP 1.1M

-81.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$68.2 LBP 6.1M

-72.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.86 LBP 882.6K

-43.71%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.46 LBP 399.2K

-62.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.34 LBP 209.6K

-72.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.90 LBP 80.9K

-65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.10 LBP 456.3K

-53.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.89 LBP 437.7K

-25.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.02 LBP 180.5K

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.91 LBP 81.4K

58.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

-39.55%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.61 LBP 323.5K

-36.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.87 LBP 973.3K

51.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.58 LBP 947.2K

-73.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.12 LBP 1.4M

-38.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.10 LBP 277.0K

-24.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.67 LBP 149.2K

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.70 LBP 151.9K

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.54 LBP 137.9K

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.26 LBP 113.1K

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.53 LBP 137.3K

-28.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

-38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.96 LBP 265.2K

39.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.04 LBP 988.5K

58.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.32 LBP 118.0K

21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.60 LBP 233.0K

6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$1.53 LBP 136.9K

-43.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$75.4 LBP 6.7M

-28.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$5.04 LBP 451.2K

-76.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.28 LBP 204.0K

-76.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$22.53 LBP 2.0M

-89.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-60.52%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$33.3K LBP 3.0B

-19.00%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$210 LBP 18.8M

-70.35%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.80 LBP 2.1M

-48.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$37.87 LBP 3.4M

-46.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$95.9 LBP 8.6M

-61.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$33.37 LBP 3.0M

-88.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.16 LBP 909.0K

-36.12%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$677 LBP 60.6M

8.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$10.5K LBP 940.9M

40.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$66.4 LBP 5.9M

-19.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.92 LBP 4.5M

-50.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$141 LBP 12.7M

-35.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$121 LBP 10.8M

-40.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$946 LBP 84.7M

-49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$495 LBP 44.3M

-37.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,209 LBP 197.7M

-54.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,044 LBP 93.4M

-39.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$4,473 LBP 400.3M

-47.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,892 LBP 169.3M

-16.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$710 LBP 63.6M

-16.97%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Beirut

$495 29.9% 60.3% $186

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Beirut

$277 16.7% 18.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Beirut

$170 10.3% 56.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Beirut

$271 16.4% 187% $177

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Beirut

$228 13.8% 194% $151

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Beirut

$98 5.9% 59.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Beirut

$116 7% 131% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $946 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beirut pays 20% 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 in Chiang Mai vs $68 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $277 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Beirut

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

23:15 11:15 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,916,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Beirut 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Beirut

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 Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Chiang Mai. 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $946 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,657 in Beirut – Chiang Mai is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 28% less than in Beirut. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.