Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Homs

For one person, living is cheaper in Homs: $524 a month against $936 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 Homs
Learn more

Homs Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Homs

🇸🇾 Syria

$524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $524 in Homs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Homs $524

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $791 in Homs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Homs $791

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,058 in Homs, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Homs $1,058

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

Both Chiang Mai and Homs are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Homs 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.09 SYP 375

-27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$11.94 SYP 1,450

59.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$6.80 SYP 827

-18.38%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$0.56 SYP 68.6

198.21%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.18 SYP 265

-70.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.52 SYP 63.4

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.95 SYP 237

21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.05 SYP 492

-9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.78 SYP 94.9

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.41 SYP 50.2

251.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.58 SYP 192

-15.82%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.56 SYP 190

46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$3.95 SYP 480

316.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.82 SYP 708

-52.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.19 SYP 1,481

-23.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$0.56 SYP 68.2

319.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.43 SYP 174

-32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.62 SYP 75.3

158.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.34 SYP 40.71

341.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.54 SYP 65.9

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.82 SYP 99.3

34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.29 SYP 35.70

144.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.66 SYP 79.9

-25.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.49 SYP 181

177.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$3.80 SYP 461

361.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.71 SYP 86.5

126.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.96 SYP 360

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.20 SYP 24.77

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$14.82 SYP 1,801

264.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.01 SYP 123

14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.47 SYP 179

-63.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.05 SYP 250

18.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.23 SYP 150

17.89%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$12.9K SYP 1.6M

63.67%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$19.1K SYP 2.3M

40.88%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$91.3 SYP 11.1K

-31.91%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.40 SYP 1,142

29.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$46.45 SYP 5,643

-56.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$10.20 SYP 1,239

265.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.36 SYP 651

21.08%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$54.5 SYP 6,627

1249.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$897 SYP 109.0K

1546.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$5.02 SYP 610

963.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$19.65 SYP 2,388

25.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$60.9 SYP 7,393

50.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$30.64 SYP 3,723

134.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$127 SYP 15.4K

279.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$52.0 SYP 6,318

494.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$345 SYP 41.9K

191.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$137 SYP 16.7K

361.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$73.3 SYP 8,904

704.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.25

-60.91%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Homs: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Homs

$52 9.9% 83.2% $257

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Homs

$147 28.1% 37.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Homs

$52 10% 51.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Homs

$147 28.1% 55.8% $53

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Homs

$81 15.4% 3.8% $3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Homs

$24 4.6% 60.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Homs

$21 4% 58.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $127 in Homs. 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 8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Homs. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $147 – making Homs the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇾 Homs

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

21:01 9:01 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

652,609

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Homs 6,330 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Homs

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 Homs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 79% more than Homs, 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 $786 in Homs. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Homs, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $127 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $55 in Homs. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% 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.

Families tend to lean toward Homs – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Homs. 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.