Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Marrakech

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Marrakech: $936 and $934 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
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Marrakech Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $934 in Marrakech, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Marrakech $934

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,350 in Marrakech, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Marrakech $1,350

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,766 in Marrakech, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Marrakech $1,766

Chiang Mai and Marrakech have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.81 MAD 37.51

-41.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$30.09 MAD 296

-36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.98 MAD 58.9

-7.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.34 MAD 23.04

-28.63%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$1.85 MAD 18.22

-65.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.67 MAD 6.63

-53.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$6.72 MAD 66.2

-64.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.58 MAD 55.0

-34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.82 MAD 8.04

137.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.79 MAD 7.82

82.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.54 MAD 15.16

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.97 MAD 19.45

15.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.72 MAD 76.0

113.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.35 MAD 52.7

-48.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.57 MAD 114

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.61 MAD 15.88

45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.35 MAD 13.27

-28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.92 MAD 9.10

73.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.78 MAD 7.70

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.72 MAD 7.09

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.80 MAD 7.86

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.25 MAD 2.47

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.57 MAD 5.60

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.99 MAD 39.29

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.69 MAD 75.7

127.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.19 MAD 21.59

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.23 MAD 31.77

-13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.39 MAD 3.85

123.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$31.05 MAD 306

74.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.86 MAD 8.43

34.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.60 MAD 5.89

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.98 MAD 68.8

-65.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.47 MAD 14.43

-1.36%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$30.3K MAD 298.3K

-30.46%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$30.8K MAD 303.3K

-12.50%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$35.37 MAD 348

75.77%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.80 MAD 86.7

38.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$36.26 MAD 357

-44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$28.33 MAD 279

31.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$20.59 MAD 203

-81.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.41 MAD 63.1

1.25%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$99.4 MAD 980

640.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$8,210 MAD 80.9K

79.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$31.09 MAD 306

71.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$43.39 MAD 427

-43.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$82.3 MAD 811

11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$80.1 MAD 789

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$518 MAD 5,103

-6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$355 MAD 3,496

-12.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$720 MAD 7,093

39.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$449 MAD 4,424

41.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,866 MAD 18.4K

26.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,062 MAD 10.5K

49.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$489 MAD 4,819

20.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marrakech: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Marrakech

$355 38% 14.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Marrakech

$183 19.6% 22% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Marrakech

$107 11.4% 1.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Marrakech

$80 8.6% 14.9% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Marrakech

$131 14.1% 69.2% $54

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Marrakech

$36 3.9% 40.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Marrakech

$41 4.4% 18.2% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $518 in Marrakech. 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 21% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $30 in Marrakech. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $183 in Marrakech – so Marrakech wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,002,697

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 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 Marrakech 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Marrakech

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 Marrakech: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,400 in Marrakech. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $518 in Marrakech. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $30 in Marrakech. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Marrakech. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Marrakech costs $934 versus $936 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 Marrakech. 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.