Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Jadida

For one person, living is cheaper in El Jadida: $613 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in El Jadida
Learn more

El Jadida Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

El Jadida

🇲🇦 Morocco

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in El Jadida

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $613 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
El Jadida $613

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $921 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
El Jadida $921

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,230 in El Jadida, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
El Jadida $1,230

Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than El Jadida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and El Jadida are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, El Jadida 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.74 MAD 26.97

-18.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$20.55 MAD 202

-7.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.97 MAD 58.8

-7.04%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.51 MAD 14.86

10.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.42 MAD 4.12

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.30 MAD 2.98

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.62 MAD 25.79

-9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.51 MAD 24.72

45.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.98 MAD 9.67

98.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.36 MAD 3.58

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.96 MAD 19.33

-32.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.88 MAD 18.55

21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.26 MAD 61.7

162.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.02 MAD 39.62

-30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.50 MAD 73.8

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.51 MAD 14.86

55.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.41 MAD 13.84

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.65 MAD 6.37

146.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.64 MAD 6.28

134.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.68 MAD 6.65

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.50 MAD 4.94

120.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.30 MAD 2.92

136.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.51 MAD 5.05

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.76 MAD 37.03

10.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$3.97 MAD 39.06

341.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.48 MAD 24.40

-35.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.83 MAD 27.84

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.44 MAD 4.38

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$15.98 MAD 157

238.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.04 MAD 10.20

11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.04 MAD 10.25

-49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.96 MAD 48.80

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.48 MAD 14.61

-2.03%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$33.7K MAD 332.1K

-37.56%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$29.7K MAD 293.0K

-9.44%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$28.15 MAD 277

120.85%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.90 MAD 97.5

22.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$30.58 MAD 301

-34.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$27.51 MAD 271

35.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$11.73 MAD 116

-67.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.25 MAD 61.6

3.84%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$111 MAD 1,094

562.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$3,097 MAD 30.5K

376.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$26.67 MAD 263

100.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$35.40 MAD 349

-30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$64.3 MAD 633

42.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$68.3 MAD 672

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$203 MAD 1,998

137.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$165 MAD 1,629

86.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$361 MAD 3,558

178.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$226 MAD 2,223

180.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,544 MAD 15.2K

53.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$774 MAD 7,626

105.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$460 MAD 4,526

28.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.5

1.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

El Jadida

$165 27% 46.5% $144

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

El Jadida

$148 24.2% 36.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

El Jadida

$88 14.3% 19.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

El Jadida

$69 11.2% 27.3% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

El Jadida

$79 12.9% 1.7% $1.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

El Jadida

$24 3.9% 60.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

El Jadida

$40 6.5% 20.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $203 in El Jadida. 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 28% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in El Jadida. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $148 in El Jadida – so El Jadida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 El Jadida

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

237,464

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai El Jadida 10,400 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
El Jadida

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 El Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than El Jadida, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $919 in El Jadida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Jadida, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $111 in El Jadida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in El Jadida, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In El Jadida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Jadida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with El Jadida. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.