Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Byblos

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,007 in Byblos, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. The total is higher in Byblos despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Byblos
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Byblos Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Byblos

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,007 in Byblos.

Chiang Mai $936
Byblos $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,618 in Byblos.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Byblos $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $2,229 in Byblos.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Byblos $2,229

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 7% less than in Byblos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Byblos 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$9.05 LBP 809.9K

-75.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$42.63 LBP 3.8M

-55.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.97 LBP 623.5K

-20.37%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.92 LBP 261.5K

-42.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.98 LBP 87.5K

-34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.98 LBP 87.8K

-68.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.21 LBP 108.1K

61.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.63 LBP 56.3K

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.61 LBP 143.9K

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.14 LBP 191.7K

6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.96 LBP 801.6K

83.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$8.26 LBP 739.4K

-66.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.94 LBP 1.1M

-22.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.02 LBP 270.4K

-22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.97 LBP 176.6K

-50.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.02 LBP 91.5K

56.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.95 LBP 174.3K

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.02 LBP 91.7K

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.97 LBP 87.0K

-26.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.97 LBP 86.9K

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$3.91 LBP 350.3K

348.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.55 LBP 138.5K

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.95 LBP 174.1K

42.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

-12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.02 LBP 90.9K

-48.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.92 LBP 82.5K

57.61%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$22.1K LBP 2.0B

-4.84%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$22.5K LBP 2.0B

19.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$99.8 LBP 8.9M

-37.71%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$22.87 LBP 2.0M

-46.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$24.64 LBP 2.2M

-18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.05 LBP 3.3M

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$40.44 LBP 3.6M

-90.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.86 LBP 882.3K

-34.18%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$398 LBP 35.6M

85.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,941 LBP 263.2M

401.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$101 LBP 9.0M

-47.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$100 LBP 9.0M

-75.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$122 LBP 10.9M

-25.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$149 LBP 13.3M

-51.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$300 LBP 26.9M

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$227 LBP 20.3M

36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$805 LBP 72.0M

24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$406 LBP 36.4M

55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,354 LBP 121.2M

74.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$827 LBP 74.0M

92.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,017 LBP 91.0M

-42.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Byblos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Byblos

$227 22.5% 26.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Byblos

$218 21.7% 6.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Byblos

$213 21.1% 95.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Byblos

$147 14.6% 55.9% $53

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Byblos

$136 * 13.5% 75.6% $59

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Byblos

$9 * 0.9% 85.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Byblos

$57 5.6% 12.9% $6.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $300 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 72% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $43 in Byblos. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $218, with Byblos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Byblos

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

20,784

💱 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 2, 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 2, 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 Byblos 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Byblos

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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 $300 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $398 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $43 in Byblos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Chiang Mai wins on affordability, Byblos on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.