Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jubail

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,093 in Jubail, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
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Jubail Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,093 in Jubail, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Jubail $1,093

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,699 in Jubail, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Jubail $1,699

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,305 in Jubail, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Jubail $2,305

Chiang Mai is about 17% cheaper than Jubail, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chiang Mai and Jubail are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Jubail 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.72 SAR 25.22

-68.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$40.26 SAR 151

-51.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$9.30 SAR 34.93

-41.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SAR 8.78

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$4.03 SAR 15.14

-58.31%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.98 SAR 3.69

-32.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.26 SAR 0.97

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.52 SAR 5.70

35.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.40 SAR 5.25

4.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.59 SAR 5.98

-15.09%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$2.06 SAR 7.75

10.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$9.90 SAR 37.17

64.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$6.45 SAR 24.22

-58.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$11.74 SAR 44.07

-21.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$2.16 SAR 8.12

10.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.74 SAR 6.55

-40.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.50 SAR 5.62

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$1.29 SAR 4.86

0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$1.33 SAR 5.00

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.70 SAR 6.37

-58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.55 SAR 2.06

-7.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$6.51 SAR 24.45

-36.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$1.30 SAR 4.88

-33.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$23.68 SAR 88.9

124.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$3.35 SAR 12.58

-63.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$2.63 SAR 9.86

-78.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$13.42 SAR 50.4

-82.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$0.64 SAR 2.39

134.38%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$44.8K SAR 168.2K

-53.45%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

25.61%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$80.7 SAR 303

-24.12%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$27.59 SAR 104

-54.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$66.5 SAR 250

-69.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$103 SAR 386

-63.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$40.07 SAR 150

-90.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$13.42 SAR 50.4

-50.82%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$181 SAR 681

326.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$7,911 SAR 29.7K

82.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$41.97 SAR 158

30.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$60.3 SAR 226

-58.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$82.3 SAR 309

10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$87.5 SAR 329

-16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$430 SAR 1,614

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$298 SAR 1,119

-1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$648 SAR 2,433

41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$538 SAR 2,021

2.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,805 SAR 10.5K

-31.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$1,366 SAR 5,131

5.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$1,622 SAR 6,090

-63.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.62

-0.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jubail: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Jubail

$298 27.1% 1.5% $4.3

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Jubail

$196 17.8% 16.8% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Jubail

$122 11.1% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Jubail

$175 15.9% 85.7% $81

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Jubail

$135 12.3% 74.7% $58

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jubail

$45 4.1% 25.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Jubail

$130 11.8% 154% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $430 in Jubail. 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 174% higher in Jubail, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $40.00 in Jubail. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $196 in Jubail – so Jubail wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Jubail

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

337,778

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jubail 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jubail

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 Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail costs about 21% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,639 in Jubail. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $181 in Jubail. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Jubail – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Jubail at $1,093. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jubail it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $906 versus $1,093 in Jubail. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jubail makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.