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 $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $451 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $710 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $970 in El Gouna, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 92% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$3.62 E£188

-46.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$15.98 E£829

16.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.65 E£241

68.17%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.49 E£77.3

30.87%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.31 E£16.29

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.10 E£4.97

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.22 E£63.2

74.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.87 E£149

29.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.86 E£44.84

98.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.62 E£32.10

162.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.67 E£34.67

70.15%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.38 E£71.7

39.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.44 E£179

371.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.26 E£221

-26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.77 E£455

24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.48 E£77.0

85.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.53 E£27.66

128.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.42 E£21.97

285.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.39 E£20.40

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.38 E£19.56

268.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.43 E£22.34

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.22 E£11.39

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.18 E£9.40

194.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.98 E£103

136.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$6.45 E£335

189.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.25 E£64.7

44.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.85 E£96.0

74.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.19 E£9.67

373.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.38 E£19.82

271.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.31 E£16.35

316.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.03 E£105

286.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$0.33 E£17.19

284.85%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-40.17%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-33.12%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$12.03 E£624

474.15%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$7.07 E£367

99.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$11.40 E£592

57.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$21.03 E£1,092

95.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.97 E£154

99.33%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$88.7 E£4,602

237.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,821 E£94.5K

721.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$27.94 E£1,450

95.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$44.19 E£2,294

-39.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$109 E£5,678

-22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$51.2 E£2,659

37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$188 E£9,760

127.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$98.7 E£5,124

140.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$278 E£14.4K

188.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$156 E£8,074

231.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$766 E£39.8K

157.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$492 E£25.5K

199.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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 El Gouna: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $188 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $123 – 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 92% 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $676 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 $19.00 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $451 in El Gouna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Gouna costs $451 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 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.