Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Mahabad $1,135

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$2.92 $2.92

-27.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$16.31 $16.31

14.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$3.99 $3.99

40.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.13 $1.13

46.90%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.51 $0.51

27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.99 $0.99

-69.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$0.68 $0.68

197.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.51 $0.51

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.09 $2.09

-33.49%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.24 $1.24

91.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$4.47 $4.47

269.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$3.34 $3.34

-20.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.85 $7.85

14.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.03 $1.03

133.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.59 $1.59

-34.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$0.86 $0.86

93.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$0.57 $0.57

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$0.57 $0.57

117.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$0.47 $0.47

131.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.54 $0.54

40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.24 $0.24

112.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.46 $2.46

67.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.14 $0.14

564.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$9.67 $9.67

446.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.44 $0.44

168.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.31 $0.31

-45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$2.63 $2.63

-31.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.10 $0.10

1370.00%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$50.0K $50.0K

-57.96%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$45.4K $45.4K

-41.62%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$12.98 $12.98

381.97%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$1.57 $1.57

638.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$3.81 $3.81

432.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$18.40 $18.40

105.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$13.52 $13.52

-72.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.04 $2.04

219.12%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$107 $107

577.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$2,442 $2,442

578.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$22.95 $22.95

133.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$27.82 $27.82

-10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$98.5 $98.5

-8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$73.7 $73.7

-2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$290 $290

65.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$212 $212

46.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$806 $806

31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$356 $356

84.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,134 $1,134

113.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$541 $541

197.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$254 $254

134.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 31.6% $98

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 54.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Mahabad

$100 19% 7.4% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 80.6% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 28.3% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 79.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 55.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $290 in Mahabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

208,541

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mahabad 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Mahabad, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mahabad. 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.