Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Essaouira

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $781 in Essaouira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Essaouira $781

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,172 in Essaouira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Essaouira $1,172

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,563 in Essaouira, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Essaouira $1,563

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Essaouira are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Essaouira 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$4.52 MAD 44.11

-49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$18.78 MAD 183

4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.36 MAD 71.8

-23.78%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.33 MAD 12.92

24.81%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.46 MAD 4.49

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.37 MAD 3.64

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$5.10 MAD 49.73

-52.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$4.39 MAD 42.83

-15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.91 MAD 8.87

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.52 MAD 5.08

171.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.67 MAD 16.33

-21.56%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.62 MAD 15.76

34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.12 MAD 79.1

105.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.92 MAD 57.8

-53.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$10.67 MAD 104

-14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.28 MAD 12.50

86.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.17 MAD 11.45

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.66 MAD 6.45

146.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.77 MAD 7.48

94.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.58 MAD 5.67

122.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.70 MAD 6.79

58.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.35 MAD 3.41

105.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.59 MAD 5.72

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.85 MAD 37.58

11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.98 MAD 58.3

200.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.70 MAD 16.58

-7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.09 MAD 20.34

35.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.85 MAD 8.32

1.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.62 MAD 6.09

95.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.64 MAD 6.23

-10.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.48 MAD 14.46

-2.70%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

-33.20%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

-16.52%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$24.14 MAD 235

158.20%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$16.96 MAD 165

-28.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$29.95 MAD 292

-33.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$5.10 MAD 49.70

27.45%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$67.8 MAD 661

1069.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

721.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$29.33 MAD 286

83.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$42.93 MAD 419

-42.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$59.1 MAD 576

53.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$40.42 MAD 394

76.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$386 MAD 3,760

18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$334 MAD 3,259

-10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$913 MAD 8,905

-0.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$569 MAD 5,547

-2.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$254 MAD 2,479

132.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Essaouira

$334 42.8% 12.2% $36

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Essaouira

$170 21.7% 28% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Essaouira

$77 9.9% 28.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 24.7% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Essaouira

$112 14.3% 42.3% $33

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9% 88.1% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3% 79.6% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $386 in Essaouira. 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 132% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $19.00 in Essaouira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $170 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

77,966

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 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 Essaouira 10,590 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Essaouira

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 Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Essaouira, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,172 in Essaouira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $19.00 in Essaouira. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Essaouira costs $781 versus $925 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 Essaouira. 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.