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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $729 in Jerash, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,126 in Jerash, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,522 in Jerash, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Jerash, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Jerash are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 37% lower, Jerash 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿62.8

$7.06 JOD 5.01

-72.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿594

$36.72 JOD 26.04

-49.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿241

$5.02 JOD 3.56

49.40%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.3

$2.11 JOD 1.50

-8.53%

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

$0.78 ฿25.08

$0.41 JOD 0.29

90.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.42

$0.38 JOD 0.27

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.2

$5.57 JOD 3.95

-61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$6.85 JOD 4.86

-45.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.2

$1.42 JOD 1.01

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.3

$0.55 JOD 0.39

183.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.06

$1.65 JOD 1.17

-28.48%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿63.9

$2.58 JOD 1.83

-23.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿517

$6.71 JOD 4.76

139.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿102

$6.49 JOD 4.60

-51.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿353

$11.41 JOD 8.09

-4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿84.7

$2.01 JOD 1.42

30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.61

$1.77 JOD 1.26

-33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.0

$1.48 JOD 1.05

11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.51

$0.76 JOD 0.54

102.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.34

$0.88 JOD 0.63

56.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.54

$0.74 JOD 0.53

58.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.25

$0.64 JOD 0.46

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.55

$0.59 JOD 0.42

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$3.51 JOD 2.49

28.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿590

$20.82 JOD 14.76

-12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿57.9

$4.61 JOD 3.27

-60.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿102

$5.51 JOD 3.91

-42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿28.97

$1.39 JOD 0.98

-35.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿612

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.50

$0.74 JOD 0.52

90.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.15

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-5.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿261

$6.95 JOD 4.93

16.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.08

$1.04 JOD 0.74

23.08%

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

$21.3K ฿686.1K

$26.9K JOD 19.1K

-20.90%

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

$21.7K ฿699.3K

$32.7K JOD 23.2K

-33.64%

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

$69.2 ฿2,230

$105 JOD 74.4

-34.02%

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

$13.97 ฿450

$16.84 JOD 11.94

-17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿578

$31.92 JOD 22.63

-43.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,363

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿191

$11.40 JOD 8.08

-48.07%

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

$299 ฿9,640

$272 JOD 193

10.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿478.4K

$5,356 JOD 3,797

177.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,810

$61.8 JOD 43.83

-9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿868

$56.1 JOD 39.77

-51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,735

$116 JOD 82.2

-26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,314

$79.1 JOD 56.1

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,727

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.2K

$365 JOD 259

71.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

-31.22%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Last update for Jerash: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $0 in Jerash. 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 72% 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 $37 in Jerash. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $243 in Jerash – so Jerash 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 Jerash: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Jerash, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,093 in Jerash. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $37.00 in Jerash. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $845 in Chiang Mai and $729 in Jerash, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Jerash costs $729 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 Jerash. 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.