Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kafr El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kafr El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $406 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $647 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $887 in Kafr El Sheikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Kafr El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Kafr El Sheikh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Kafr El Sheikh 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$3.13 E£163

-38.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$9.13 E£474

104.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.33 E£173

134.83%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.02 E£52.9

91.18%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.33 E£17.13

157.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.09 E£4.48

288.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.26 E£65.2

69.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$1.29 E£67.2

189.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.67 E£35.00

155.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.47 E£24.30

246.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.76 E£39.66

50.00%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.39 E£72.2

38.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$2.04 E£106

694.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.88 E£202

-19.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.31 E£431

31.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.18 E£61.2

133.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.61 E£31.53

98.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.39 E£19.99

315.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.36 E£18.85

341.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.54 E£27.93

159.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.53 E£27.73

120.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.29 E£15.08

127.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.16 E£8.38

231.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.97 E£102

138.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$4.27 E£222

337.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.47 E£76.3

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.72 E£89.1

87.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.20 E£10.20

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.31 E£16.22

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.25 E£13.01

416.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.93 E£100

306.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$0.31 E£15.93

309.68%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-29.25%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$37.0K E£1.9M

-39.98%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$7.72 E£401

794.69%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$7.58 E£393

85.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$12.56 E£652

43.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$22.35 E£1,160

83.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$7.02 E£364

-15.67%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$94.4 E£4,898

216.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$2,599 E£134.9K

475.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$10.05 E£522

444.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$60.9 E£3,159

-56.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$83.9 E£4,352

1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$19.63 E£1,019

259.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$191 E£9,926

123.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$99.0 E£5,139

139.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$306 E£15.9K

162.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$181 E£9,402

184.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$792 E£41.1K

149.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$436 E£22.6K

238.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.33

-78.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kafr El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Kafr El Sheikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $9.00 in Kafr El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $109 – making Kafr El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kafr El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 113% more than Kafr El Sheikh, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $609 in Kafr El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $9.00 in Kafr El Sheikh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 127% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $406 in Kafr El Sheikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kafr El Sheikh costs $406 versus $866 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 Kafr El Sheikh. 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.