Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Khemisset

For one person, living is cheaper in Khemisset: $727 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Khemisset
Learn more

Khemisset Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Khemisset

🇲🇦 Morocco

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $727 in Khemisset, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Khemisset $727

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,148 in Khemisset, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Khemisset $1,148

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,568 in Khemisset, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Khemisset $1,568

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Khemisset, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Khemisset are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Khemisset 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.60 MAD 15.56

41.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$36.09 MAD 352

-46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$7.02 MAD 68.5

-20.37%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$0.87 MAD 8.46

97.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.79 MAD 7.71

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.20 MAD 1.95

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$6.18 MAD 60.3

-61.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$5.28 MAD 51.4

-26.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.79 MAD 7.72

159.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.45 MAD 4.37

211.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.42 MAD 13.88

-9.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.83 MAD 17.86

22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$10.14 MAD 98.9

67.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$7.02 MAD 68.5

-60.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.44 MAD 82.3

10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.92 MAD 8.95

160.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.10 MAD 10.75

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.73 MAD 7.14

120.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.39 MAD 3.81

289.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.61 MAD 5.92

109.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.60 MAD 5.88

85.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.46 MAD 4.52

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.58 MAD 5.69

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.13 MAD 40.31

4.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$9.24 MAD 90.1

91.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.68 MAD 35.88

-55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.98 MAD 38.78

-28.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.48 MAD 4.73

77.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$18.44 MAD 180

192.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.70 MAD 6.87

67.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.85 MAD 8.26

-32.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$9.11 MAD 88.8

-73.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.45 MAD 14.13

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$33.9K MAD 330.2K

-39.55%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$30.1K MAD 293.7K

-11.98%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$36.98 MAD 361

68.55%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$6.15 MAD 59.9

99.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$39.44 MAD 384

-49.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$12.98 MAD 127

192.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$22.75 MAD 222

-83.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$7.44 MAD 72.5

-9.81%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$93.3 MAD 909

754.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$5,970 MAD 58.2K

148.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$36.80 MAD 359

44.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$48.97 MAD 477

-48.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$99.1 MAD 966

-7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$105 MAD 1,028

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$231 MAD 2,255

100.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$182 MAD 1,777

67.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$488 MAD 4,757

87.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$301 MAD 2,932

83.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,338 MAD 13.0K

42.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$849 MAD 8,274

69.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$395 MAD 3,855

50.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.67

51.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Khemisset: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Khemisset

$182 25.1% 40.2% $122

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Khemisset

$189 26% 20.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Khemisset

$131 18% 19.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Khemisset

$83 11.4% 12.7% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Khemisset

$90 12.3% 13.5% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Khemisset

$25 3.5% 58.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Khemisset

$28 3.8% 45.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $231 in Khemisset. 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 51% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $36.00 in Khemisset. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $189 in Khemisset – so Khemisset wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Khemisset

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

08:20 8:20 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

131,542

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Khemisset 10,170 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Khemisset

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 Khemisset: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 29% more than Khemisset, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,091 in Khemisset. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $93.3 in Khemisset. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Khemisset, where all-in costs run around $727, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Khemisset it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Khemisset costs $727 versus $938 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 Khemisset. 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.