Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Nouadhibou

For one person, living is cheaper in Nouadhibou: $268 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Nouadhibou

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $268 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Nouadhibou $268

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $494 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Nouadhibou $494

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $720 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Nouadhibou $720

Chiang Mai costs about 245% more than Nouadhibou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Nouadhibou are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Nouadhibou 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.95 MRU 118

-22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.06 MRU 683

15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$5.92 MRU 237

-5.24%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.55 MRU 102

-34.90%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.23 MRU 49.19

58.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.35 MRU 14.17

302.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.11 MRU 44.42

18.02%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.11 MRU 84.6

3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.73 MRU 109

1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.30 MRU 252

44.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.79 MRU 71.5

33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.53 MRU 61.2

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.10 MRU 43.90

48.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.74 MRU 29.45

102.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.76 MRU 30.63

69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.68 MRU 27.32

63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.65 MRU 26.00

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.56 MRU 103

68.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.36 MRU 14.25

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.90 MRU 36.19

34.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$7.27 MRU 291

-67.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.20 MRU 48.25

20.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.11 ฿405

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$65.6 MRU 2,627

594.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$100 MRU 4,010

197.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$248 MRU 9,938

123.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nouadhibou: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Nouadhibou

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Nouadhibou

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Nouadhibou

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Nouadhibou

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Nouadhibou

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Nouadhibou

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Nouadhibou

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $65.6 in Nouadhibou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Nouadhibou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $94.0 – making Nouadhibou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇷 Nouadhibou

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

85,953

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritanian Ouguiya MRU UM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MRU = 2.5 USD

100 MRU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MRU, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mauritanian Ouguiya exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.06 MRU (100 MRU = 2.5 USD). 1 EUR = 45.04 MRU (100 MRU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Nouadhibou 11,770 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Nouadhibou

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 Nouadhibou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 245% more than Nouadhibou, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $402 in Nouadhibou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $268 in Nouadhibou. That's a gap of about 245%.

Groceries cost about 152% 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 Nouadhibou, where all-in costs run around $268, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Nouadhibou 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. Nouadhibou costs $268 versus $925 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 Nouadhibou. 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.