Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Guelma

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelma: $522 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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 Guelma
Learn more

Guelma Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Guelma

🇩🇿 Algeria

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $522 in Guelma, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Guelma $522

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $850 in Guelma, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Guelma $850

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,179 in Guelma, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Guelma $1,179

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$3.14 DZD 425

-32.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$17.36 DZD 2,347

7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.80 DZD 514

47.37%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.63 DZD 85.2

163.49%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.59 DZD 80.0

10.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.26 DZD 35.39

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$1.51 DZD 204

53.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.14 DZD 289

71.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.84 DZD 114

140.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.15 DZD 20.21

840.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.15 DZD 155

20.87%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.18 DZD 160

100.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.74 DZD 1,046

113.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$3.86 DZD 522

-30.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$14.45 DZD 1,953

-37.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.03 DZD 274

18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$2.82 DZD 382

-63.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.10 DZD 149

50.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.96 DZD 130

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.62 DZD 83.8

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.49 DZD 65.9

122.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.70 DZD 95.1

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.27 DZD 36.69

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.70 DZD 366

52.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$6.54 DZD 884

174.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.24 DZD 168

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.91 DZD 259

47.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.24 DZD 32.54

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$6.84 DZD 925

673.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.53 DZD 72.0

122.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.43 DZD 58.4

-60.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$5.29 DZD 715

-65.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.35 DZD 47.43

320.00%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$31.6K DZD 4.3M

-33.61%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$34.4K DZD 4.7M

-22.99%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$36.43 DZD 4,924

71.73%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$9.42 DZD 1,273

23.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$12.15 DZD 1,642

67.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$22.47 DZD 3,037

68.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.53 DZD 612

43.71%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$340 DZD 45.9K

114.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$4,850 DZD 655.7K

241.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$31.78 DZD 4,296

68.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$34.46 DZD 4,659

-28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$69.1 DZD 9,342

30.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$80.6 DZD 10.9K

-10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$142 DZD 19.2K

238.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$92.1 DZD 12.5K

236.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$267 DZD 36.1K

296.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$197 DZD 26.7K

233.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$953 DZD 128.8K

153.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,037 DZD 140.3K

55.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$300 DZD 40.5K

98.32%

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 Guelma: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Guelma

$92 17.7% 70.3% $218

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Guelma

$173 33.2% 26.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Guelma

$97 18.6% 10.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Guelma

$58 11.1% 38.6% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Guelma

$59 11.4% 22.5% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Guelma

$11 2% 82.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Guelma

$32 6% 38.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $142 in Guelma. 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 98% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Guelma. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $173 – making Guelma the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Guelma

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

120,847

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.57 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 152 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Guelma 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Guelma

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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than Guelma, 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 $783 in Guelma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guelma, 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 $340 in Guelma. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $522 in Guelma, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Guelma – 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 Guelma. 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.