Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Faiyum Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Faiyum

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $444 in El Faiyum, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $725 in El Faiyum, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,006 in El Faiyum, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and El Faiyum are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, El Faiyum 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$2.31 E£118

-15.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$13.66 E£697

34.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.50 E£230

66.22%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.27 E£64.6

59.06%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.31 E£15.86

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.12 E£6.36

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.22 E£62.1

75.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.03 E£155

18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.75 E£38.51

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.79 E£40.29

98.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.65 E£33.12

83.08%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.24 E£63.5

56.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.08 E£157

425.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.38 E£223

-31.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.43 E£430

29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.49 E£76.0

81.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.54 E£27.64

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.39 E£20.07

333.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.36 E£18.45

344.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.40 E£20.60

245.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.43 E£21.90

179.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.22 E£11.16

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.21 E£10.57

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.94 E£98.8

139.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.07 E£310

190.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.36 E£69.3

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.30 E£118

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.07 E£3.40

1157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$6.00 E£306

222.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.45 E£23.11

202.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.29 E£14.62

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.03 E£52.3

697.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.31 E£15.73

293.55%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-38.83%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-32.15%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$11.47 E£585

516.13%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$5.55 E£283

152.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$9.90 E£506

76.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$24.53 E£1,252

71.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$25.74 E£1,314

-73.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.31 E£118

156.28%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$25.21 E£1,287

1123.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$896 E£45.7K

1560.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.93 E£1,426

99.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$44.69 E£2,281

-41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$109 E£5,561

-23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$47.32 E£2,416

48.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$183 E£9,342

136.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$86.5 E£4,414

176.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$330 E£16.8K

149.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$182 E£9,288

181.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$418 E£21.3K

358.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$209 E£10.7K

600.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$74.3 E£3,790

680.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-16.67%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $183 in El Faiyum. 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 680% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in El Faiyum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $122 – making El Faiyum 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 El Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than El Faiyum, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $665 in El Faiyum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $25.21 in El Faiyum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $444 in El Faiyum, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Faiyum costs $444 versus $861 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 El Faiyum. 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.