Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Berkane

For one person, living is cheaper in Berkane: $718 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Berkane
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Berkane Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Berkane

🇲🇦 Morocco

$718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $718 in Berkane, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Berkane $718

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,085 in Berkane, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Berkane $1,085

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,452 in Berkane, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Berkane $1,452

Chiang Mai costs about 30% more than Berkane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Berkane are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Berkane 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.42 MAD 62.6

-66.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$16.94 MAD 165

9.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$6.06 MAD 59.1

-7.59%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.76 MAD 17.13

-5.68%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.55 MAD 5.41

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.34 MAD 3.28

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$3.94 MAD 38.48

-41.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.61 MAD 35.26

1.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$0.83 MAD 8.10

143.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.54 MAD 5.24

161.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$1.72 MAD 16.74

-19.19%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.86 MAD 18.19

27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$8.02 MAD 78.2

105.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$5.95 MAD 58.0

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$11.20 MAD 109

-19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.35 MAD 13.16

77.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.25 MAD 12.24

-16.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$0.77 MAD 7.53

115.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$0.78 MAD 7.57

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$0.70 MAD 6.87

77.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$0.71 MAD 6.92

53.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.36 MAD 3.53

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.60 MAD 5.85

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$4.05 MAD 39.49

1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$7.72 MAD 75.3

132.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.29 MAD 22.30

-29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.59 MAD 25.29

8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.50 MAD 4.91

86.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$20.07 MAD 196

163.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.69 MAD 6.70

71.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.67 MAD 6.58

-74.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$4.59 MAD 44.72

-60.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.46 MAD 14.22

0.68%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$31.0K MAD 302.1K

-32.17%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$30.4K MAD 296.3K

-12.73%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$35.77 MAD 349

74.90%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$10.26 MAD 100

13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$36.26 MAD 354

-44.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$25.43 MAD 248

48.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$21.04 MAD 205

-82.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$4.97 MAD 48.45

30.99%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$100 MAD 977

625.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$5,615 MAD 54.8K

195.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$31.15 MAD 304

71.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$44.63 MAD 435

-44.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$74.8 MAD 730

20.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$63.9 MAD 623

12.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$275 MAD 2,682

75.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$176 MAD 1,717

76.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$461 MAD 4,499

129.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$264 MAD 2,580

149.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,195 MAD 11.7K

102.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$805 MAD 7,849

99.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$263 MAD 2,564

126.28%

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Berkane: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Berkane

$176 24.5% 43.2% $134

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Berkane

$181 25.2% 23.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Berkane

$97 13.4% 10.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Berkane

$82 11.5% 12.9% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Berkane

$121 16.9% 58.2% $45

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Berkane

$26 3.6% 55.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Berkane

$35 4.9% 30.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Berkane. 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 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Berkane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $181 – making Berkane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Berkane

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

05:22 5:22 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

109,237

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.25 USD

100 MAD = 9.13 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.95 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Berkane 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Berkane

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 Berkane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 30%, 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 $1,078 in Berkane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berkane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $17 in Berkane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $718 in Berkane. That makes Berkane about 23% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Berkane – 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 Berkane. 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.