Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and New Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and New Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $691 in New Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,015 in New Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,339 in New Cairo, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than New Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and New Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, New Cairo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.92 E£200

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$20.13 E£1,028

-8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.81 E£245

55.51%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.50 E£76.5

34.67%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.36 E£18.47

136.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.15 E£7.64

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.35 E£68.8

58.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.79 E£143

28.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.92 E£47.16

79.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.63 E£32.38

149.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.72 E£36.98

65.28%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.47 E£74.9

31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.97 E£202

307.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.51 E£230

-33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$9.07 E£463

20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.56 E£79.5

73.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.55 E£28.17

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.47 E£23.96

259.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.41 E£21.18

290.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.50 E£25.63

176.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.40 E£20.52

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.22 E£11.22

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.22 E£11.18

154.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.04 E£104

127.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$9.18 E£468

91.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.30 E£66.5

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.86 E£94.9

77.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.18 E£8.99

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.41 E£21.02

231.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.31 E£15.98

332.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.00 E£102

310.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.33 E£17.05

269.70%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$35.3K E£1.8M

-39.46%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.6K E£1.7M

-32.99%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$25.21 E£1,287

180.33%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$7.09 E£362

98.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$11.37 E£580

53.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$25.03 E£1,278

68.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$6.77 E£346

1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.62 E£185

63.54%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$90.8 E£4,636

239.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,950 E£99.5K

663.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$31.42 E£1,604

77.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$49.25 E£2,514

-46.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$107 E£5,473

-22.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$51.3 E£2,621

37.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$348 E£17.8K

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$279 E£14.2K

-14.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$505 E£25.8K

62.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$410 E£21.0K

24.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,254 E£64.0K

52.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$682 E£34.8K

115.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$194 E£9,895

198.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $348 in New Cairo. 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 199% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in New Cairo. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $136 in New Cairo – so New Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 New Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than New Cairo, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,036 in New Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Cairo, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $20.00 in New Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 80% 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $691 in New Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. New Cairo costs $691 versus $861 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 New Cairo. 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.