Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nabeul

For one person, living is cheaper in Nabeul: $678 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Nabeul
Learn more

Nabeul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Nabeul

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $678 in Nabeul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Nabeul $678

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,065 in Nabeul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Nabeul $1,065

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,452 in Nabeul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Nabeul $1,452

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Nabeul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Nabeul are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Nabeul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$4.08 TND 12.22

-44.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$20.03 TND 60.0

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.81 TND 14.40

16.22%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.50 TND 4.48

14.67%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.61 TND 1.82

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.55 TND 1.65

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.63 TND 4.89

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.62 TND 4.86

140.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.46 TND 1.38

345.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.16 TND 0.49

775.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.33 TND 3.97

-3.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.53 TND 4.58

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$11.76 TND 35.23

44.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$5.95 TND 17.83

-53.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$12.33 TND 36.93

-24.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.04 TND 6.10

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$3.56 TND 10.65

-71.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.32 TND 3.96

21.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.77 TND 2.30

97.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.65 TND 1.94

96.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.79 TND 2.38

40.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.48 TND 1.43

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.31 TND 0.94

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.37 TND 10.08

28.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.87 TND 14.60

264.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.21 TND 3.64

34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.25 TND 3.76

128.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.83 TND 2.48

2.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.31 TND 0.94

277.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.32 TND 0.95

78.12%

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

$40.2K TND 120.5K

-49.12%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$36.1K TND 108.0K

-26.51%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$59.7 TND 179

4.46%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$10.40 TND 31.16

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$19.91 TND 59.6

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$29.74 TND 89.1

27.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$13.72 TND 41.09

-72.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.49 TND 16.44

22.22%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$60.3 TND 181

1221.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$3,717 TND 11.1K

299.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$38.06 TND 114

39.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$57.8 TND 173

-56.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$96.5 TND 289

-5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$66.2 TND 198

10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$228 TND 684

103.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$156 TND 468

94.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$378 TND 1,133

141.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$278 TND 832

98.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$849 TND 2,544

125.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$813 TND 2,435

76.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$255 TND 763

133.71%

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 Nabeul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Nabeul

$156 23.1% 48.7% $148

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Nabeul

$188 27.7% 21.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Nabeul

$116 17.2% 6.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Nabeul

$90 13.3% 4.9% $4.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Nabeul

$81 12% 2.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Nabeul

$5.2 * 0.8% 91.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Nabeul

$41 6% 20.7% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $228 in Nabeul. 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 134% 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 Nabeul. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $188 in Nabeul – so Nabeul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇳 Nabeul

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

00:35 12:35 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

73,128

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chiang Mai
Nabeul

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 Nabeul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Nabeul, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,016 in Nabeul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nabeul, 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 $20.00 in Nabeul. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nabeul, where all-in costs run around $678, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Nabeul 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. Nabeul costs $678 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 Nabeul. 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.