Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jal el Dib

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $987 in Jal el Dib, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. The total is higher in Jal el Dib despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Jal el Dib
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Jal el Dib Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jal el Dib

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Jal el Dib

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 Jal el Dib actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $987 in Jal el Dib, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jal el Dib $987

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,592 in Jal el Dib, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jal el Dib $1,592

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,196 in Jal el Dib, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jal el Dib $2,196

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Jal el Dib, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Jal el Dib are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jal el Dib 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

-81.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-72.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.12 LBP 905.8K

-45.16%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.61 LBP 412.3K

-63.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$2.28 LBP 203.9K

-71.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.91 LBP 81.2K

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$4.88 LBP 436.7K

-51.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.85 LBP 434.3K

-24.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.95 LBP 174.1K

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.90 LBP 80.5K

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.24 LBP 200.8K

-40.63%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.66 LBP 327.1K

-37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.19 LBP 1.0M

47.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$10.62 LBP 950.2K

-73.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.07 LBP 1.3M

-38.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.11 LBP 278.0K

-24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.70 LBP 151.7K

-42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.67 LBP 149.8K

-4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.49 LBP 133.0K

0.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.20 LBP 107.6K

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.59 LBP 142.2K

-30.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.21 LBP 108.3K

-41.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.73 LBP 65.7K

-32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.98 LBP 266.3K

38.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.03 LBP 986.9K

58.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.32 LBP 117.8K

21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.52 LBP 225.5K

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$5.03 LBP 450.2K

-76.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

-76.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$22.69 LBP 2.0M

-89.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$53.6K LBP 4.8B

-60.72%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

-17.75%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$216 LBP 19.3M

-71.19%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$23.90 LBP 2.1M

-49.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

-46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.92 LBP 887.5K

-34.58%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$690 LBP 61.7M

6.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$10.5K LBP 943.7M

40.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$68.4 LBP 6.1M

-21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$48.64 LBP 4.4M

-49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$138 LBP 12.3M

-33.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$118 LBP 10.6M

-39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jal el Dib: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jal el Dib

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jal el Dib

$278 28.1% 18.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jal el Dib

$168 17% 54.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jal el Dib

$277 28.1% 194% $183

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jal el Dib

$228 23.1% 194% $151

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jal el Dib

$16 * 1.6% 73.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jal el Dib

$20 * 2% 60.6% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $69 in Jal el Dib. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $278 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Jal el Dib

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,877 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Jal el Dib 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jal el Dib

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 Jal el Dib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jal el Dib costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,481 in Jal el Dib. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $69 in Jal el Dib. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Jal el Dib, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $987 in Jal el Dib. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.