Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kasserine

For one person, living is cheaper in Kasserine: $586 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Kasserine, Tunisia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Kasserine
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $586 in Kasserine, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Kasserine $586

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $898 in Kasserine, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Kasserine $898

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,210 in Kasserine, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Kasserine $1,210

Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Kasserine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kasserine are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kasserine 57% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.7
$1.67 TND 5.02
34.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿642
$10.94 TND 32.95
73.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿188
$3.94 TND 11.88
40.86%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.6
$0.72 TND 2.15
131.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.56
$0.58 TND 1.74
10.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.32
$0.26 TND 0.78
19.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$0.83 TND 2.49
184.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$1.04 TND 3.12
251.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$0.52 TND 1.56
275.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.51
$0.11 TND 0.34
1209.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.07
$1.20 TND 3.62
10.83%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.60 TND 4.83
42.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿556
$17.22 TND 51.9
-4.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.55 TND 7.67
9.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$13.22 TND 39.81
-29.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.5
$2.06 TND 6.19
14.08%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.82
$3.69 TND 11.13
-73.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.38 TND 4.15
15.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$0.78 TND 2.35
92.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.15
$0.60 TND 1.81
113.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.22
$0.92 TND 2.76
19.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.84
$0.48 TND 1.45
47.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.38
$0.24 TND 0.72
104.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$3.56 TND 10.72
16.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿592
$7.35 TND 22.15
138.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.56 TND 4.70
3.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$1.31 TND 3.93
112.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.33
$0.35 TND 1.06
148.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,827
$9.97 TND 30.05
442.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.08
$0.21 TND 0.63
452.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.82
$0.32 TND 0.98
65.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$4.11 TND 12.38
-41.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.75 TND 2.27
93.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿711.2K
$39.1K TND 117.8K
-46.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.8K
$36.8K TND 110.8K
-26.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,100
$55.3 TND 167
12.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$7.45 TND 22.43
63.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿680
$16.65 TND 50.2
20.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,260
$20.14 TND 60.7
85.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$12.35 TND 37.20
-69.47%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.70 TND 17.17
13.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.9K
$19.72 TND 59.4
3633.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.6K
$2,503 TND 7,541
489.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,802
$38.78 TND 117
37.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿832
$29.70 TND 89.5
-17.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,089
$40.11 TND 121
128.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,429
$38.03 TND 115
89.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$206 TND 621
133.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$156 TND 470
98.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿34.0K
$374 TND 1,126
169.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$272 TND 818
133.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
$973 TND 2,930
142.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.7K
$611 TND 1,839
160.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Kasserine
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$302 TND 910
95.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.33
-46.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kasserine: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Kasserine
$156 49.5% $153
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Kasserine
$197 15.9% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Kasserine
$66 39.3% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Kasserine
$79 16% $15
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Kasserine
$43 44.2% $34
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Kasserine
$13 78.5% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Kasserine
$32 37.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $206 in Kasserine. 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 95% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Kasserine. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $197 – making Kasserine the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇹🇳 Kasserine
🕒 Local time
05:14 5:14 AM
23:14 11:14 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
83,534
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.01 TND (1 TND = 0.332 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Kasserine 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Kasserine

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 Kasserine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Kasserine?
Chiang Mai costs about 60% more than Kasserine, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Kasserine?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $879 in Kasserine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Kasserine?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kasserine, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $206 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Kasserine?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $19.72 in Kasserine. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Kasserine?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Kasserine – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Kasserine?
If budget matters most, go with Kasserine. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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