Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dezful

For one person, living is cheaper in Dezful: $535 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Dezful, Iran
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Dezful
🇮🇷 Iran
$535
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $535 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $935
  • Dezful $535

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $841 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,467
  • Dezful $841

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,147 in Dezful, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,999
  • Dezful $1,147

Chiang Mai costs about 75% more than Dezful, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dezful are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dezful 60% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 ฿71.7
$3.09 $3.09
-31.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.62 ฿625
$15.69 $15.69
18.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.60 ฿188
$3.90 $3.90
43.59%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.73 $0.73
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.02 $1.02
-
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.09 $1.09
52.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ฿21.73
$0.77 $0.77
-15.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿10.24
$1.01 $1.01
-70.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.32 ฿78.0
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 ฿123
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 ฿67.7
$0.69 $0.69
192.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.29
$0.52 $0.52
171.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.75
$1.98 $1.98
-29.80%
Eggs
$2.37 ฿79.5
$1.17 $1.17
102.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.52 ฿555
$4.32 $4.32
282.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ฿89.7
$3.36 $3.36
-20.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.02 ฿303
$10.19 $10.19
-11.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.6
$1.03 $1.03
133.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.04 ฿34.98
$1.60 $1.60
-35.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.66 ฿55.7
$0.83 $0.83
100.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 ฿52.4
$0.56 $0.56
178.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.24 ฿41.57
$0.58 $0.58
113.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.50
$0.51 $0.51
113.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 ฿25.59
$0.53 $0.53
43.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.27
$0.24 $0.24
112.50%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.79 $0.79
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.50 $0.50
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.40 $1.40
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.12 ฿138
$2.53 $2.53
62.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.93 ฿602
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ฿54.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 ฿94.8
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$0.17 $0.17
447.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ฿1,777
$9.81 $9.81
439.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 ฿39.52
$0.42 $0.42
180.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 ฿5.76
$0.29 $0.29
-41.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 ฿60.9
$2.52 $2.52
-28.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.47
$0.08 $0.08
1737.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K ฿705.8K
$49.7K $49.7K
-57.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿890.7K
$44.9K $44.9K
-40.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.6 ฿2,101
$13.15 $13.15
375.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.60 ฿390
$1.54 $1.54
653.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.30 ฿682
$3.95 $3.95
413.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.88 ฿1,272
$18.41 $18.41
105.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.70 ฿124
$13.36 $13.36
-72.31%
Cinema Ticket
$6.51 ฿219
$2.04 $2.04
219.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$727 ฿24.4K
$107 $107
582.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K ฿556.7K
$2,428 $2,428
582.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 ฿1,798
$22.80 $22.80
134.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.80 ฿833
$28.41 $28.41
-12.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.4 ฿3,036
$99.2 $99.2
-8.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.0 ฿2,418
$71.8 $71.8
0.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$481 ฿16.2K
$287 $287
67.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 ฿10.4K
$211 $211
46.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,058 ฿35.5K
$796 $796
32.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$659 ฿22.1K
$352 $352
87.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,418 ฿81.2K
$1,142 $1,142
111.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,609 ฿54.0K
$529 $529
204.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Dezful
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿20.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
24.3
-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Dezful: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$310
Dezful
$211 31.8% $99
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$237
Dezful
$114 51.9% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Dezful
$100 7.7% $8.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Dezful
$19 80.3% $76
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$77
Dezful
$57 26.1% $20
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$59
Dezful
$12 79% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Dezful
$22 55.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $287 in Dezful. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Dezful. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $114 – making Dezful the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇮🇷 Dezful
🕒 Local time
11:51 11:51 AM
08:21 8:21 AM
3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
248,380
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Dezful 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Dezful

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 Dezful: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Dezful?
Chiang Mai costs about 75% more than Dezful, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Dezful?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $803 in Dezful. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Dezful?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dezful, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Dezful?
Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $107 in Dezful. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Dezful?
Groceries cost about 108% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Chiang Mai or in Dezful?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $535 in Dezful, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Dezful – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Dezful is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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