Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $523 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $843 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,163 in Cairo, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 66% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Cairo 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$4.03 E£209

-51.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$19.82 E£1,026

-5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.88 E£253

60.25%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.50 E£77.5

30.00%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.37 E£18.92

129.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.13 E£6.87

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.42 E£73.3

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.82 E£146

32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.93 E£48.14

83.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.59 E£30.44

176.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.74 E£38.49

54.05%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.54 E£79.9

25.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.31 E£171

389.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.34 E£225

-28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.42 E£436

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.56 E£80.9

76.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.56 E£29.02

116.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.47 E£24.20

244.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.39 E£20.19

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.46 E£23.94

204.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.40 E£20.91

192.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.22 E£11.32

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.23 E£11.70

130.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.02 E£105

132.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$7.86 E£407

137.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.26 E£65.3

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.77 E£91.6

82.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.29 E£14.85

210.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$5.97 E£309

221.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.38 E£19.79

271.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.29 E£14.93

344.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.02 E£52.6

668.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.31 E£15.80

309.68%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$36.1K E£1.9M

-41.00%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$30.7K E£1.6M

-27.56%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$26.21 E£1,357

163.53%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$8.42 E£436

67.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$12.30 E£637

46.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$16.02 E£829

156.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$6.80 E£352

2.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.51 E£182

68.66%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$91.9 E£4,758

225.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$1,993 E£103.2K

650.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$31.43 E£1,627

74.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$44.87 E£2,323

-40.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$107 E£5,548

-20.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$57.5 E£2,978

22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$205 E£10.6K

109.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$130 E£6,754

81.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$424 E£21.9K

89.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$250 E£12.9K

106.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$843 E£43.6K

134.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$483 E£25.0K

205.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$196 E£10.1K

215.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cairo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $205 in Cairo. 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 215% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Cairo. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Chiang Mai vs $128 in Cairo – so Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 66%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $784 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $20.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $523 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.