Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beni Mellal

For one person, living is cheaper in Beni Mellal: $618 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Beni Mellal
Learn more

Beni Mellal Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Beni Mellal

🇲🇦 Morocco

$618

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Beni Mellal

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $618 in Beni Mellal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Beni Mellal $618

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $975 in Beni Mellal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Beni Mellal $975

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,332 in Beni Mellal, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Beni Mellal $1,332

Chiang Mai costs about 51% more than Beni Mellal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Beni Mellal are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Beni Mellal 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.63 MAD 35.70

-38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$25.91 MAD 255

-26.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.25 MAD 51.6

5.71%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.20 MAD 11.78

39.17%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.57 MAD 5.56

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.32 MAD 3.14

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.48 MAD 24.39

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.06 MAD 30.12

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.90 MAD 8.81

116.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.66 MAD 6.49

118.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.88 MAD 18.52

-29.26%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.55 MAD 15.26

47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.24 MAD 110

46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.76 MAD 66.4

-58.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.30 MAD 101

-9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.15 MAD 11.30

104.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.01 MAD 9.92

-3.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.68 MAD 6.67

135.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.82 MAD 8.10

82.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.60 MAD 5.85

113.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.69 MAD 6.80

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.32 MAD 3.18

121.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.59 MAD 5.80

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.85 MAD 37.85

7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.37 MAD 72.4

137.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.63 MAD 25.81

-38.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.67 MAD 26.26

4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.30 MAD 2.92

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$8.31 MAD 81.7

550.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.75 MAD 7.33

54.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.78 MAD 7.67

-32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.48 MAD 24.36

-2.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.50 MAD 14.71

-3.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$31.0K MAD 304.5K

-32.02%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$31.9K MAD 313.6K

-15.56%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$35.59 MAD 350

74.68%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.13 MAD 99.6

20.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.18 MAD 248

-20.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$20.29 MAD 199

83.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$15.45 MAD 152

-75.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.18 MAD 60.8

5.02%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$182 MAD 1,786

305.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$9,416 MAD 92.6K

56.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$47.36 MAD 465

12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$39.84 MAD 392

-38.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$75.7 MAD 744

20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$64.4 MAD 633

11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$191 MAD 1,879

152.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$126 MAD 1,234

146.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$279 MAD 2,744

260.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$195 MAD 1,914

225.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,226 MAD 12.1K

92.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$828 MAD 8,141

91.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$322 MAD 3,162

83.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.55

22.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Beni Mellal: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Beni Mellal

$126 20.3% 59.4% $183

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Beni Mellal

$191 30.9% 18.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Beni Mellal

$102 16.6% 5.9% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Beni Mellal

$71 11.5% 24.9% $24

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Beni Mellal

$81 13.2% 4.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Beni Mellal

$14 2.3% 76.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Beni Mellal

$33 5.3% 35.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Beni Mellal. 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 83% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Beni Mellal. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $191 in Beni Mellal – so Beni Mellal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Beni Mellal

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

192,676

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Beni Mellal 10,260 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Beni Mellal

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 Beni Mellal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $618 in Beni Mellal – Beni Mellal comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $927 in Beni Mellal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Beni Mellal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Beni Mellal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $182 in Beni Mellal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $618 in Beni Mellal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Beni Mellal – 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 Beni Mellal. 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.