Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hargeysa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hargeysa: $457 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Hargeysa
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Hargeysa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Hargeysa

🇸🇴 Somalia

$457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $457 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Hargeysa $457

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $738 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Hargeysa $738

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,019 in Hargeysa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Hargeysa $1,019

Chiang Mai costs about 98% more than Hargeysa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Hargeysa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Hargeysa 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$4.90 SOS 2,781

-56.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$17.65 SOS 10.0K

9.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$5.44 SOS 3,092

0.55%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$1.48 SOS 840

13.51%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.99 SOS 563

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$1.11 SOS 630

-69.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.29 SOS 731

59.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.05 SOS 598

39.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.06 SOS 601

27.36%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$2.45 SOS 1,391

-7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$6.68 SOS 3,797

-59.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$4.11 SOS 2,333

123.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.94 SOS 1,103

23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.46 SOS 829

-28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.95 SOS 1,107

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$1.28 SOS 727

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$1.27 SOS 721

2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.51 SOS 859

-26.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.03 SOS 584

-32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.62 SOS 354

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$0.98 SOS 556

321.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.29 SOS 165

196.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$12.39 SOS 7,037

328.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$0.84 SOS 474

45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.67 SOS 382

-16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$3.89 SOS 2,210

-40.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.05 SOS 598

42.86%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$9,972 SOS 5.7M

109.16%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$11.9K SOS 6.8M

123.73%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$45.33 SOS 25.7K

35.14%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$7.27 SOS 4,128

71.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$20.26 SOS 11.5K

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$37.12 SOS 21.1K

2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$2.03 SOS 1,150

85.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$24.61 SOS 14.0K

3045.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$265 SOS 150.4K

5349.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$12.31 SOS 6,994

345.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$19.64 SOS 11.2K

28.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$17.23 SOS 9,786

425.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$30.53 SOS 17.3K

139.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$108 SOS 61.3K

325.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$70.7 SOS 40.2K

315.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$300 SOS 170.5K

206.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$166 SOS 94.5K

231.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$5,081 SOS 2.9M

-62.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$294 SOS 167.2K

101.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Hargeysa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Hargeysa

$71 15.7% 75.9% $223

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Hargeysa

$134 * 29.8% 43.1% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Hargeysa

$36 8% 67.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Hargeysa

$73 16.2% 22.6% $21

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Hargeysa

$82 * 18.1% 5.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Hargeysa

$18 3.9% 70.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Hargeysa

$37 * 8.2% 27.4% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $108 in Hargeysa. 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 101% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $18.00 in Hargeysa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $134 – making Hargeysa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇴 Hargeysa

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,960,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 636 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Hargeysa 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hargeysa

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 Hargeysa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 98% more than Hargeysa, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $686 in Hargeysa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hargeysa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $24.61 in Hargeysa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hargeysa, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Hargeysa 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. Hargeysa costs $457 versus $906 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 Hargeysa. 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.