Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hurghada Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hurghada

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $536 in Hurghada, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,002 in Hurghada, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,468 in Hurghada, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Hurghada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Hurghada are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Hurghada 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿63.2

$3.87 E£204

-49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿597

$38.89 E£2,046

-52.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿243

$5.79 E£305

29.53%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.6

$1.66 E£87.2

16.27%

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

$0.78 ฿25.22

$0.37 E£19.53

110.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.48

$0.13 E£6.99

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.6

$1.96 E£103

9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$2.73 E£144

35.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.5

$0.95 E£49.74

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.62 E£32.42

151.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.27

$1.02 E£53.9

15.69%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿64.2

$2.10 E£110

-5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿520

$3.42 E£180

369.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$6.45 E£339

-50.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿355

$9.70 E£510

12.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿85.1

$1.38 E£72.7

90.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.82

$0.44 E£23.10

165.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.3

$0.42 E£22.12

292.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.78

$0.60 E£31.80

156.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.59

$0.50 E£26.33

176.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.75

$0.54 E£28.54

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.37

$0.30 E£16.00

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.64

$0.19 E£9.79

168.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$1.96 E£103

130.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿594

$7.64 E£402

139.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.26 E£66.1

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.75 E£92.0

81.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.13

$0.11 E£5.89

718.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿616

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.76

$0.42 E£22.08

235.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.39

$0.18 E£9.47

627.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿262

$1.99 E£105

306.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.31

$0.32 E£17.07

300.00%

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

$21.3K ฿689.9K

$17.6K E£923.4K

21.32%

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

$21.7K ฿703.2K

$32.6K E£1.7M

-33.43%

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

$69.2 ฿2,242

$25.86 E£1,361

167.59%

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

$13.97 ฿453

$8.38 E£441

66.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿582

$12.41 E£653

44.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,371

$27.25 E£1,433

55.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿216

$7.11 E£374

-6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿192

$3.40 E£179

74.12%

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

$299 ฿9,694

$100.0 E£5,261

199.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿481.1K

$585 E£30.8K

2440.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,820

$11.27 E£593

398.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿873

$20.04 E£1,055

34.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,750

$108 E£5,661

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,327

$50.0 E£2,631

43.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.1K

$256 E£13.5K

69.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,771

$129 E£6,792

85.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.8K

$257 E£13.5K

210.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

$444 E£23.3K

12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.6K

$554 E£29.2K

259.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.6K

$634 E£33.4K

141.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.4K

$208 E£11.0K

201.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Last update for Hurghada: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $256 in Hurghada. 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 202% 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 $18 in Chiang Mai versus $39 in Hurghada. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $145 in Hurghada – so Hurghada wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Hurghada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Hurghada, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $804 in Hurghada. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hurghada, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $39.00 in Hurghada. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $845 in Chiang Mai and $536 in Hurghada, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hurghada costs $536 versus $845 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 Hurghada. 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.