Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ismailia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Ismailia
Learn more

Ismailia Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ismailia

🇪🇬 Egypt

$330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $330 in Ismailia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ismailia $330

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $561 in Ismailia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ismailia $561

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $792 in Ismailia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ismailia $792

Chiang Mai costs about 181% more than Ismailia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ismailia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Ismailia 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.30 E£176

-30.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$14.58 E£778

34.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.76 E£201

49.20%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.04 E£55.5

59.62%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.30 E£15.91

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.13 E£6.85

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.32 E£70.6

82.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.80 E£96.0

106.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.79 E£42.30

146.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.36 E£19.07

291.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.60 E£32.12

118.33%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.15 E£61.5

89.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.49 E£186

377.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.98 E£213

-30.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.95 E£371

31.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.45 E£77.3

64.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.54 E£29.05

90.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.41 E£22.01

297.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.31 E£16.79

383.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.26 E£13.89

396.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.32 E£17.12

246.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.23 E£12.31

213.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.20 E£10.67

165.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.86 E£99.5

131.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.48 E£293

227.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.04 E£55.4

51.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.89 E£101

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.23 E£12.26

273.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$3.77 E£201

1313.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.39 E£20.60

210.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.48 E£25.72

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.13 E£60.2

107.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.42 E£22.18

242.86%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$27.6K E£1.5M

-25.00%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$14.6K E£780.2K

83.44%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$13.94 E£744

347.13%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.66 E£355

81.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.33 E£391

172.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$9.65 E£515

284.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$18.42 E£984

-79.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$1.82 E£97.4

257.14%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$65.6 E£3,502

1108.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,171 E£62.5K

1164.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$12.92 E£690

315.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$9.19 E£491

167.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$127 E£6,764

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$27.53 E£1,470

158.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$78.3 E£4,181

481.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$31.44 E£1,679

847.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$120 E£6,414

656.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$75.2 E£4,017

636.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$458 E£24.5K

321.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$131 E£6,984

1004.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$101 E£5,387

485.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ismailia

$31 9.5% 89.4% $266

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ismailia

$108 32.8% 54.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ismailia

$79 24.1% 26.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ismailia

$28 8.5% 70.4% $66

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ismailia

$62 18.8% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ismailia

$7.5 2.3% 87.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ismailia

$13 4% 73.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $78.3 in Ismailia. 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 486% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $15.00 in Ismailia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $108 – making Ismailia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Ismailia

🕒 Local time

03:58 3:58 AM

23:58 11:58 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

352,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ismailia 6,770 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ismailia

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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 181% more than Ismailia, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $494 in Ismailia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $65.6 in Ismailia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 118% 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 Ismailia, where all-in costs run around $330, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Ismailia 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. Ismailia costs $330 versus $925 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 Ismailia. 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.