Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Giza

For one person, living is cheaper in Giza: $446 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Giza
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Giza Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Giza

🇪🇬 Egypt

$446

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $446 in Giza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Giza $446

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $705 in Giza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Giza $705

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $965 in Giza, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Giza $965

Chiang Mai costs about 110% more than Giza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Giza are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Giza 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.82 E£213

-41.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$13.22 E£737

43.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.34 E£242

27.88%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.11 E£61.9

50.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.32 E£18.07

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.13 E£7.49

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.34 E£74.8

76.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.60 E£145

40.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.79 E£44.06

146.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.35 E£19.25

311.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.63 E£34.90

111.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.32 E£73.8

72.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$2.25 E£125

631.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.48 E£194

-20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.44 E£415

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.38 E£76.7

70.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.53 E£29.53

83.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.40 E£22.56

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.32 E£17.84

368.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.40 E£22.45

220.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.43 E£23.80

155.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.25 E£13.91

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.20 E£10.95

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.81 E£101

128.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.53 E£252

286.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.96 E£53.3

67.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.55 E£86.3

79.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.31 E£17.29

180.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$8.05 E£449

571.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.26 E£14.34

346.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.37 E£20.72

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.74 E£96.7

39.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.40 E£22.07

262.50%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$29.8K E£1.7M

-29.38%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$23.1K E£1.3M

16.39%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$14.40 E£803

331.74%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.70 E£373

81.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$23.12 E£1,288

-12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$17.14 E£955

117.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.30 E£351

-40.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.46 E£193

87.57%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$79.4 E£4,426

827.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,188 E£121.9K

574.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$9.65 E£538

453.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$44.28 E£2,468

-44.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$147 E£8,172

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$51.3 E£2,856

40.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$144 E£8,049

233.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$80.9 E£4,507

282.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$310 E£17.3K

224.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$141 E£7,868

348.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$541 E£30.2K

336.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$267 E£14.9K

495.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$136 E£7,594

332.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.5

-75.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Giza: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Giza

$81 18.1% 73.8% $228

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Giza

$101 22.7% 56.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Giza

$113 25.4% 4.3% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Giza

$44 9.9% 53.2% $50

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Giza

$71 15.9% 8.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Giza

$11 2.6% 81.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Giza

$24 5.4% 52.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $144 in Giza. 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 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $13 in Giza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $101 – making Giza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Giza

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,681,863

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55.73 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.23 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Giza 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Giza

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 Giza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 110% more than Giza, 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 $669 in Giza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Giza, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $144 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $79 in Giza. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 131% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Giza – 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 Giza. 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.