Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ouarzazate

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $706 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ouarzazate $706

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,099 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ouarzazate $1,099

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,492 in Ouarzazate, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ouarzazate $1,492

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Ouarzazate, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ouarzazate are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ouarzazate 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.93 MAD 38.58

-43.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$30.65 MAD 301

-38.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.02 MAD 59.2

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.47 MAD 24.29

-32.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.56 MAD 5.46

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.37 MAD 3.60

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$6.56 MAD 64.5

-64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.58 MAD 54.8

-34.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.80 MAD 7.81

143.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.85 MAD 8.38

69.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.47 MAD 14.43

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.52 MAD 14.95

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.64 MAD 75.1

115.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.45 MAD 43.69

-37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.29 MAD 111

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.74 MAD 7.32

217.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.26 MAD 12.34

-23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.64 MAD 6.25

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.72 MAD 7.03

108.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.66 MAD 6.45

93.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.75 MAD 7.38

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.23 MAD 2.26

208.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.61 MAD 5.97

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.99 MAD 39.23

3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.68 MAD 75.5

128.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.23 MAD 21.92

-27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.38 MAD 33.27

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.50 MAD 4.94

74.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$18.66 MAD 183

189.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.53 MAD 5.19

118.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.62 MAD 6.10

-14.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$7.09 MAD 69.7

-65.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.41 MAD 13.84

2.84%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$30.1K MAD 296.4K

-30.15%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$30.9K MAD 303.6K

-12.78%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$35.09 MAD 345

77.17%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.96 MAD 48.75

145.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.40 MAD 250

-20.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$25.27 MAD 248

47.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.98 MAD 177

-79.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.41 MAD 63.0

1.25%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$98.6 MAD 969

646.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$8,270 MAD 81.3K

78.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$31.20 MAD 307

71.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$43.88 MAD 431

-43.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$80.4 MAD 790

13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$79.7 MAD 783

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$278 MAD 2,730

73.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$176 MAD 1,732

75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$519 MAD 5,105

93.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$265 MAD 2,606

138.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,196 MAD 11.8K

97.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$828 MAD 8,134

92.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$201 MAD 1,979

192.98%

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 Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ouarzazate

$176 24.9% 43% $133

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ouarzazate

$170 24% 27.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ouarzazate

$106 15% 2.6% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ouarzazate

$65 9.3% 30.7% $29

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ouarzazate

$127 17.9% 63.4% $49

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ouarzazate

$24 3.4% 60.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ouarzazate

$38 5.4% 24.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $278 in Ouarzazate. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Ouarzazate. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $170 in Ouarzazate – so Ouarzazate wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

17:29 5:29 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

71,067

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ouarzazate 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ouarzazate

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 Ouarzazate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Ouarzazate, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,059 in Ouarzazate. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouarzazate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $99 in Ouarzazate. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $706 in Ouarzazate, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ouarzazate – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Ouarzazate. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.