Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $476 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $752 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,028 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Mersa Matruh 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.9

$3.64 E£189

-45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿618

$15.86 E£825

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿255

$4.72 E£245

64.19%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿63.1

$1.51 E£78.5

27.15%

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

$0.79 ฿26.03

$0.29 E£15.04

172.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.72

$0.12 E£6.21

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.8

$1.22 E£63.6

81.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.05 E£158

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿54.3

$0.87 E£45.21

89.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.6

$0.72 E£37.60

126.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.22

$0.71 E£36.67

67.61%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.7

$1.46 E£75.8

36.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿525

$3.95 E£206

304.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿99.4

$4.46 E£232

-32.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿357

$9.72 E£505

11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.42 E£73.6

94.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.77

$0.54 E£28.03

118.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.0

$0.43 E£22.31

281.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$0.37 E£19.14

310.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.52

$0.38 E£19.65

263.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.19

$0.40 E£20.88

197.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.08

$0.24 E£12.55

191.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.30

$0.18 E£9.40

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿150

$2.02 E£105

126.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿544

$5.73 E£298

189.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.34 E£69.9

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿105

$2.67 E£139

19.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.83

$0.17 E£9.06

417.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿615

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.57

$0.53 E£27.54

156.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.05

$0.43 E£22.13

211.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿258

$2.00 E£104

292.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿40.29

$0.33 E£17.23

272.73%

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

$21.6K ฿710.8K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-38.94%

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

$22.5K ฿741.1K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-32.59%

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

$70.5 ฿2,319

$11.36 E£591

520.95%

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

$13.68 ฿450

$5.80 E£301

135.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿574

$9.94 E£517

75.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,359

$22.08 E£1,148

87.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿229

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿190

$2.93 E£152

96.93%

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

$307 ฿10.1K

$88.8 E£4,619

245.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$1,820 E£94.6K

702.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,834

$27.94 E£1,453

99.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿861

$49.40 E£2,569

-46.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,819

$107 E£5,586

-20.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,375

$50.1 E£2,603

44.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.1K

$192 E£9,982

123.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,845

$98.0 E£5,093

143.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.9K

$312 E£16.2K

161.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.8K

$178 E£9,236

187.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿65.2K

$706 E£36.7K

181.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.8K

$356 E£18.5K

316.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.3K

$95.8 E£4,980

546.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-70.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $192 in Mersa Matruh. 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 546% 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 $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $130 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 83% more than Mersa Matruh, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $714 in Mersa Matruh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $476 in Mersa Matruh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mersa Matruh costs $476 versus $869 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 Mersa Matruh. 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.