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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $455 in Dahab, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $741 in Dahab, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,027 in Dahab, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Dahab, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Dahab are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Dahab 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$3.52 E£183

-44.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$15.71 E£814

18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.73 E£245

65.33%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.51 E£78.1

29.14%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.29 E£14.94

193.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.12 E£6.28

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.21 E£62.6

76.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.89 E£150

29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.89 E£46.16

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.58 E£30.06

181.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.71 E£36.64

60.56%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$1.43 E£74.3

34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.29 E£171

392.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.32 E£224

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.54 E£442

27.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.42 E£73.3

93.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.54 E£27.86

124.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.42 E£21.87

285.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.39 E£20.37

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.41 E£21.12

241.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.44 E£22.73

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.24 E£12.47

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.21 E£10.63

152.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.93 E£100

143.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$6.67 E£345

179.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.36 E£70.6

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.79 E£92.5

80.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.18 E£9.55

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.42 E£21.72

235.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.31 E£16.13

316.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.97 E£102

297.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$0.31 E£15.85

309.68%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-39.01%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-33.73%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$11.95 E£619

477.99%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$6.54 E£339

115.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$10.64 E£551

69.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$22.64 E£1,173

81.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.91 E£151

103.44%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$88.1 E£4,563

239.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$1,883 E£97.5K

694.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$27.67 E£1,433

97.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$47.99 E£2,486

-44.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$111 E£5,736

-23.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$50.0 E£2,591

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$190 E£9,847

125.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$98.4 E£5,096

141.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$305 E£15.8K

162.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$178 E£9,196

190.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$137 E£7,103

350.33%

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 Dahab: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $190 in Dahab. 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 350% 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 $16.00 in Dahab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $124 – making Dahab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dahab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 90% more than Dahab, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $683 in Dahab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Dahab. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $455 in Dahab, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dahab costs $455 versus $866 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dahab. 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.