Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Larache

For one person, living is cheaper in Larache: $755 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Larache
🇲🇦 Morocco
$755
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $755 in Larache, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Larache $755

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,155 in Larache, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Larache $1,155

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,556 in Larache, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Larache $1,556

Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Larache, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Larache are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Larache 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$3.69 MAD 35.97
-37.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$20.68 MAD 202
-5.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$6.87 MAD 67.0
-18.34%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$1.98 MAD 19.27
-16.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$0.64 MAD 6.24
9.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$0.34 MAD 3.29
-8.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$2.65 MAD 25.81
-9.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$3.19 MAD 31.12
16.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$0.97 MAD 9.44
101.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$0.84 MAD 8.15
67.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$1.85 MAD 18.01
-29.19%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$1.88 MAD 18.29
15.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$11.09 MAD 108
50.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$7.51 MAD 73.2
-63.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$11.83 MAD 115
-22.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$1.62 MAD 15.83
47.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$1.59 MAD 15.46
-35.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$0.84 MAD 8.18
94.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$0.76 MAD 7.38
97.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$0.63 MAD 6.17
104.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$0.66 MAD 6.45
68.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$0.48 MAD 4.70
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$0.55 MAD 5.32
-3.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$4.20 MAD 40.96
2.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$8.37 MAD 81.6
114.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$2.37 MAD 23.14
-33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$3.14 MAD 30.65
-9.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$0.50 MAD 4.83
72.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$21.03 MAD 205
153.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$0.54 MAD 5.23
124.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$0.32 MAD 3.12
78.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$4.46 MAD 43.48
-47.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$1.49 MAD 14.52
-3.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$25.2K MAD 246.0K
-17.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$30.5K MAD 297.6K
-12.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$52.1 MAD 508
19.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$10.15 MAD 99.0
19.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$42.42 MAD 414
-52.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$20.98 MAD 205
76.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
$21.29 MAD 208
-82.25%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$5.14 MAD 50.1
26.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$101 MAD 981
687.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$5,642 MAD 55.0K
162.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$60.2 MAD 587
-10.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$44.95 MAD 438
-45.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$94.2 MAD 918
-3.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$61.2 MAD 596
16.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$275 MAD 2,685
65.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$168 MAD 1,641
76.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$470 MAD 4,582
93.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$273 MAD 2,666
102.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$1,193 MAD 11.6K
61.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$827 MAD 8,063
74.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Larache
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
$274 MAD 2,674
115.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.83
15.32%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Larache: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Larache
$168 43.5% $130
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Larache
$211 10.6% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Larache
$117 8.4% $9.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Larache
$105 10.9% $10
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Larache
$97 23.9% $19
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Larache
$25 58.6% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Larache
$31 37.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $275 in Larache. 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 115% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Larache. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Larache – so Larache wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇲🇦 Larache
🕒 Local time
22:02 10:02 PM
16:02 4:02 PM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
125,008
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Larache 10,110 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Larache

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 Larache: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Larache?
Chiang Mai costs about 23% more than Larache, 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 Larache?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,132 in Larache. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Larache?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Larache, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Larache?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $101 in Larache. 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 Larache?
Groceries cost about 12% 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Larache?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Larache, where all-in costs run around $755, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Larache it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Larache?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Larache costs $755 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Larache?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Larache?
If budget matters most, go with Larache. 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.

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