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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $462 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $730 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $998 in El Gouna, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and El Gouna are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, El Gouna 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.65 E£186

-46.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$15.91 E£812

15.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.52 E£231

65.49%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.49 E£75.9

35.57%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.29 E£14.71

193.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.12 E£5.91

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.27 E£64.8

68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.05 E£156

17.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.91 E£46.61

81.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.57 E£29.15

175.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.66 E£33.70

80.30%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.43 E£73.2

35.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.41 E£174

374.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.21 E£215

-28.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$8.57 E£437

27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.42 E£72.3

90.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.58 E£29.46

101.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.40 E£20.30

322.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.36 E£18.56

344.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.38 E£19.32

263.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.43 E£22.08

179.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.22 E£11.21

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.18 E£9.21

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.94 E£99.2

139.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.23 E£318

182.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.30 E£66.5

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.88 E£96.2

75.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.20 E£10.01

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.38 E£19.58

257.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.31 E£16.01

332.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.04 E£104

302.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.31 E£15.77

293.55%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-39.95%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-32.58%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$11.78 E£602

499.92%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$6.78 E£346

107.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$11.35 E£580

54.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$20.92 E£1,068

101.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.92 E£149

102.74%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$87.6 E£4,471

252.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,877 E£95.8K

692.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.44 E£1,401

103.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$45.10 E£2,302

-42.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$109 E£5,582

-24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$51.4 E£2,625

37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$192 E£9,795

125.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$101 E£5,146

137.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$270 E£13.8K

204.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$158 E£8,085

223.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$822 E£42.0K

132.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$498 E£25.4K

194.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $192 in El Gouna. 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $122 – making El Gouna 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 Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 86% more than El Gouna, 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 $693 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in El Gouna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% 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 $462 in El Gouna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Gouna costs $462 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 Gouna. 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.