Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and El Oued

For one person, living is cheaper in El Oued: $524 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in El Oued
Learn more

El Oued Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

El Oued

🇩🇿 Algeria

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $524 in El Oued, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
El Oued $524

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $859 in El Oued, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
El Oued $859

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,194 in El Oued, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
El Oued $1,194

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than El Oued, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and El Oued are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, El Oued 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.85 DZD 386

-25.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$19.88 DZD 2,691

-6.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$4.23 DZD 572

32.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.26 DZD 170

31.75%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$1.13 DZD 153

-42.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.51 DZD 69.6

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$1.53 DZD 206

51.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.23 DZD 302

64.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.88 DZD 120

129.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.16 DZD 21.62

781.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$1.10 DZD 149

26.36%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.23 DZD 167

92.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.81 DZD 1,057

111.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.91 DZD 529

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$14.23 DZD 1,927

-36.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.02 DZD 274

18.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$2.82 DZD 382

-63.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.06 DZD 143

56.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.91 DZD 123

71.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$0.63 DZD 84.6

96.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$0.45 DZD 61.0

142.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.76 DZD 103

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.25 DZD 34.17

104.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.70 DZD 366

52.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$6.21 DZD 840

188.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.10 DZD 149

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$1.90 DZD 257

48.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.23 DZD 30.82

304.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$7.02 DZD 950

653.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$0.57 DZD 77.7

107.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.41 DZD 55.1

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$5.31 DZD 719

-65.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$0.32 DZD 43.95

359.37%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$31.7K DZD 4.3M

-33.76%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$34.7K DZD 4.7M

-23.59%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$36.65 DZD 4,961

70.70%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$9.37 DZD 1,269

23.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$11.74 DZD 1,589

72.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$22.11 DZD 2,992

71.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$4.48 DZD 606

45.31%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$336 DZD 45.4K

116.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$10.3K DZD 1.4M

60.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$32.04 DZD 4,337

67.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$34.41 DZD 4,658

-27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$65.8 DZD 8,906

37.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$73.4 DZD 9,939

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$142 DZD 19.3K

238.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$90.6 DZD 12.3K

242.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$272 DZD 36.8K

289.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$197 DZD 26.7K

234.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$970 DZD 131.3K

149.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$918 DZD 124.2K

75.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$259 DZD 35.1K

129.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for El Oued: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

El Oued

$91 17.3% 70.8% $219

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

El Oued

$172 32.8% 27.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

El Oued

$93 17.7% 14.5% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

El Oued

$58 11% 38.8% $37

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

El Oued

$69 13.2% 9.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

El Oued

$11 2% 82% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

El Oued

$31 5.9% 39% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $142 in El Oued. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $20 in El Oued. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $172 in El Oued – so El Oued wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 El Oued

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

23:56 11:56 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

134,699

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai El Oued 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
El Oued

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 Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than El Oued, 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 $785 in El Oued. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Oued, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $142 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $336 in El Oued. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $524 in El Oued, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward El Oued – 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 Oued. 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.