Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Casablanca

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $977 in Casablanca, rent and utilities included – about $620 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Casablanca
🇲🇦 Morocco
$977
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $977 in Casablanca.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Casablanca $977

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,525 in Casablanca.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Casablanca $1,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,074 in Casablanca.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Casablanca $2,074

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 5% less than in Casablanca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Casablanca 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$4.80 MAD 46.77
-52.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$33.06 MAD 322
-40.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$8.04 MAD 78.4
-30.22%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$1.96 MAD 19.15
-15.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$1.08 MAD 10.51
-35.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$0.64 MAD 6.24
-51.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$4.14 MAD 40.33
-41.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$5.74 MAD 56.0
-35.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$0.97 MAD 9.46
101.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$0.83 MAD 8.13
69.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$1.89 MAD 18.43
-30.69%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$1.89 MAD 18.47
15.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$11.10 MAD 108
50.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$7.20 MAD 70.2
-61.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$11.76 MAD 115
-22.53%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$1.63 MAD 15.93
46.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$1.56 MAD 15.22
-33.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$0.79 MAD 7.74
106.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$0.76 MAD 7.42
97.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$0.62 MAD 6.08
108.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$0.65 MAD 6.37
70.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$0.49 MAD 4.81
46.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$0.50 MAD 4.86
6.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$4.11 MAD 40.11
4.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$8.18 MAD 79.7
119.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$2.29 MAD 22.36
-31.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$3.05 MAD 29.75
-6.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$0.84 MAD 8.20
2.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$25.29 MAD 247
110.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$0.86 MAD 8.39
40.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$0.30 MAD 2.89
90.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$4.56 MAD 44.43
-48.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$1.51 MAD 14.76
-4.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$30.8K MAD 300.3K
-32.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$31.2K MAD 304.0K
-14.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$51.0 MAD 497
22.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$9.96 MAD 97.1
21.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$41.12 MAD 401
-51.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$32.46 MAD 316
14.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
$21.00 MAD 205
-82.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$7.57 MAD 73.8
-14.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$572 MAD 5,577
38.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$5,556 MAD 54.2K
166.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$59.2 MAD 577
-9.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$44.48 MAD 434
-44.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$94.0 MAD 917
-3.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$60.1 MAD 586
18.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$595 MAD 5,804
-23.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$347 MAD 3,386
-14.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$1,105 MAD 10.8K
-17.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$645 MAD 6,289
-14.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$2,214 MAD 21.6K
-12.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$1,238 MAD 12.1K
16.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Casablanca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
$670 MAD 6,536
-11.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.83
15.32%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Casablanca: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Casablanca
$347 16.6% $50
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Casablanca
$207 11.9% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Casablanca
$116 7.3% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Casablanca
$102 8.2% $7.7
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Casablanca
$125 59.2% $47
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Casablanca
$31 49% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Casablanca
$48 4.9% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $595 in Casablanca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Casablanca pays 13% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $33.00 in Casablanca. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $207, with Casablanca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇲🇦 Casablanca
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
12:40 12:40 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
3,215,935
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Casablanca 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Casablanca

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 Casablanca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Casablanca cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Chiang Mai or Casablanca?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Casablanca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Chiang Mai and Casablanca?
Rent for a central apartment: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $595 in Casablanca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Chiang Mai or in Casablanca?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Casablanca. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Chiang Mai and in Casablanca?
All in, you'll spend $925 per month in Chiang Mai versus $977 in Casablanca – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Chiang Mai or in Casablanca?
At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $977 in Casablanca, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Casablanca. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Chiang Mai or Casablanca more family-friendly?
For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Casablanca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Chiang Mai or Casablanca?
Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Casablanca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Casablanca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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