Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,395 in Jeddah, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
Learn more

Jeddah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,395 in Jeddah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jeddah $1,395

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,167 in Jeddah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jeddah $2,167

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,940 in Jeddah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jeddah $2,940

Chiang Mai is about 33% cheaper than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Jeddah is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$6.16 SAR 23.10

-63.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$79.6 SAR 299

-76.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.60 SAR 36.03

-42.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 SAR 8.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SAR 9.96

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.78 SAR 14.18

-55.82%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.07 SAR 4.01

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.26 SAR 0.98

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.75 SAR 6.57

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.33 SAR 4.99

8.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.26 SAR 8.47

-41.15%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.48 SAR 9.32

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.52 SAR 24.47

152.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$8.02 SAR 30.09

-65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.98 SAR 48.70

-28.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.10 SAR 7.88

11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.67 SAR 6.27

-41.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.55 SAR 5.80

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.67 SAR 6.28

-10.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.17 SAR 4.37

9.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.27 SAR 4.75

-13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.11 SAR 4.17

-36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.54 SAR 2.04

-9.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.24 SAR 15.90

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.59 SAR 24.72

-37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.89 SAR 3.34

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$55.1 SAR 207

-1.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.14 SAR 11.79

-63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.76 SAR 6.62

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$13.78 SAR 51.7

-82.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.64 SAR 2.40

126.56%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$38.9K SAR 145.9K

-45.84%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

24.37%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$91.3 SAR 342

-31.88%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$38.64 SAR 145

-68.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$67.0 SAR 251

-69.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$69.7 SAR 261

-46.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$38.79 SAR 146

-90.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$11.88 SAR 44.58

-45.37%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$786 SAR 2,951

-6.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$16.6K SAR 62.3K

-11.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$74.5 SAR 280

-28.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$56.0 SAR 210

-56.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$101 SAR 378

-9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$95.7 SAR 359

-24.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$812 SAR 3,048

-40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$558 SAR 2,093

-44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,315 SAR 4,933

-23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$863 SAR 3,237

-26.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,688 SAR 6,335

39.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,091 SAR 4,094

45.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,691 SAR 6,346

-65.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jeddah

$558 40% 80.5% $249

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jeddah

$200 14.4% 14.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jeddah

$147 10.6% 35.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jeddah

$197 14.1% 108% $102

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jeddah

$129 9.2% 65.9% $51

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jeddah

$71 5.1% 15% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jeddah

$93 6.7% 85.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $812 in Jeddah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jeddah are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $80 in Jeddah. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $200 in Jeddah – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🕒 Local time

10:09 10:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,430,697

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jeddah 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jeddah

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeddah costs about 49% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $2,092 in Jeddah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $812 in Jeddah.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $80 in Jeddah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Jeddah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,395 in Jeddah. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jeddah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.