Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Koura

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,223 in Koura, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Koura
Learn more

Koura Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Koura

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,223 in Koura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Koura $1,223

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,925 in Koura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Koura $1,925

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,628 in Koura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Koura $2,628

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Koura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Koura are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Koura 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$11.99 LBP 1.1M

-81.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

-72.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$10.17 LBP 910.0K

-45.43%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.56 LBP 408.3K

-63.38%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.36 LBP 211.0K

-72.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.83 LBP 74.7K

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$4.88 LBP 437.0K

-51.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.68 LBP 418.8K

-21.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.00 LBP 178.6K

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.84 LBP 75.3K

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$2.16 LBP 193.2K

-38.43%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.67 LBP 328.2K

-37.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.98 LBP 983.1K

49.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$10.81 LBP 967.4K

-74.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$15.09 LBP 1.4M

-38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.99 LBP 267.6K

-21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.73 LBP 154.8K

-43.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.61 LBP 144.4K

-0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.48 LBP 132.6K

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.25 LBP 111.9K

2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

-31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.18 LBP 105.4K

-39.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.67 LBP 60.0K

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.01 LBP 269.5K

37.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.20 LBP 1.0M

56.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.28 LBP 114.6K

25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.47 LBP 221.3K

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$2.05 LBP 183.4K

-57.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$5.14 LBP 460.4K

-77.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$2.21 LBP 197.8K

-76.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$22.19 LBP 2.0M

-89.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.95 LBP 84.9K

52.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-61.32%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

-17.45%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$215 LBP 19.2M

-71.08%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.66 LBP 2.1M

-48.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$37.94 LBP 3.4M

-46.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$24.51 LBP 2.2M

52.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$9.82 LBP 878.9K

-61.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.90 LBP 886.4K

-34.44%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$679 LBP 60.8M

8.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$10.4K LBP 933.6M

41.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$68.1 LBP 6.1M

-21.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

-50.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$140 LBP 12.5M

-34.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$121 LBP 10.8M

-40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$245 LBP 21.9M

96.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$203 LBP 18.1M

52.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$453 LBP 40.6M

122.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$347 LBP 31.0M

82.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,132 LBP 101.3M

108.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$860 LBP 77.0M

84.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$602 LBP 53.9M

-2.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Koura: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Koura

$203 16.6% 34.4% $106

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Koura

$277 22.6% 18% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Koura

$170 13.9% 56.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Koura

$277 22.6% 193% $182

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Koura

$228 18.6% 194% $150

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Koura

$24 * 2% 60.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Koura

$44 3.6% 11.9% $6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $245 in Koura. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $70 in Koura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $277 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Koura

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Koura 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Koura

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 Koura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koura costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,834 in Koura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Koura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $70 in Koura. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Koura, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,223 in Koura. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,223 in Koura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.