Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mahdia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahdia: $557 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Mahdia
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Mahdia Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Mahdia

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $557 in Mahdia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Mahdia $557

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $881 in Mahdia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Mahdia $881

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,206 in Mahdia, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Mahdia $1,206

Chiang Mai costs about 69% more than Mahdia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mahdia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Mahdia 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.48 TND 7.44

-8.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$20.01 TND 59.9

-4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.84 TND 14.49

15.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$0.96 TND 2.89

79.17%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.57 TND 1.72

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.19 TND 0.56

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.03 TND 3.07

129.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.51 TND 4.52

158.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.43 TND 1.30

376.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.26 TND 0.78

438.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.38 TND 4.13

-7.25%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.53 TND 4.58

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$11.75 TND 35.19

44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.96 TND 14.87

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.46 TND 43.29

-35.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.86 TND 8.56

-16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.86 TND 8.55

-64.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.44 TND 4.32

11.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.72 TND 2.15

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.65 TND 1.94

96.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.34 TND 1.03

226.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.43 TND 1.29

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.31 TND 0.94

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.53 TND 10.56

22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$3.35 TND 10.04

429.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.63 TND 4.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.25 TND 3.75

128.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.32 TND 0.95

165.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$13.33 TND 39.92

304.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.31 TND 0.93

277.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.26 TND 0.77

119.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.88 TND 2.64

64.77%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$40.9K TND 122.5K

-49.92%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$40.1K TND 120.0K

-33.84%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$56.3 TND 169

10.65%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$7.15 TND 21.41

71.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$20.10 TND 60.2

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$20.52 TND 61.5

84.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.69 TND 23.03

-51.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$6.80 TND 20.36

-1.32%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$109 TND 326

632.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$985 TND 2,951

1405.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$37.98 TND 114

40.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$32.80 TND 98.2

-23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$76.9 TND 230

19.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$23.51 TND 70.4

212.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$130 TND 390

256.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$100 TND 301

203.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$292 TND 875

213.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$175 TND 523

216.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$675 TND 2,022

183.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$201 TND 602

615.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$232 TND 695

156.61%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Mahdia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Mahdia

$100 18% 67.1% $204

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Mahdia

$188 33.8% 20.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Mahdia

$77 13.8% 29.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Mahdia

$84 15% 11.6% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Mahdia

$57 10.3% 27.7% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Mahdia

$16 2.9% 73.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Mahdia

$34 6.1% 33.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $130 in Mahdia. 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 157% 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 $20.00 in Mahdia. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $188 in Mahdia – so Mahdia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇳 Mahdia

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

00:02 12:02 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

79,545

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mahdia 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mahdia

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 Mahdia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 69% more than Mahdia, 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 $835 in Mahdia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahdia, 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 $109 in Mahdia. 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mahdia, where all-in costs run around $557, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Mahdia 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. Mahdia costs $557 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 Mahdia. 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.