Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Oued Zem

For one person, living is cheaper in Oued Zem: $751 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Oued Zem
Learn more

Oued Zem Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Oued Zem

🇲🇦 Morocco

$751

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Oued Zem

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $751 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Oued Zem $751

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,196 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Oued Zem $1,196

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,640 in Oued Zem, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Oued Zem $1,640

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Oued Zem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Oued Zem are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Oued Zem 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.18 MAD 41.18

-46.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$41.10 MAD 405

-53.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.11 MAD 70.0

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.93 MAD 19.03

-13.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.57 MAD 5.59

12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.36 MAD 3.58

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.95 MAD 48.75

-52.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.19 MAD 31.46

14.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.82 MAD 8.05

137.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.61 MAD 5.96

136.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.85 MAD 18.21

-28.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.95 MAD 19.18

16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.22 MAD 111

46.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.67 MAD 65.7

-58.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.88 MAD 117

-21.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.60 MAD 15.80

46.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.42 MAD 13.99

-31.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.89 MAD 8.77

79.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.82 MAD 8.08

82.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.71 MAD 7.03

80.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.79 MAD 7.74

39.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.39 MAD 3.86

82.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.61 MAD 5.97

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.23 MAD 41.63

-2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.23 MAD 71.2

142.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.56 MAD 25.25

-37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.58 MAD 25.45

7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.50 MAD 4.95

74.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$19.08 MAD 188

183.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.73 MAD 7.19

58.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.75 MAD 7.36

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.95 MAD 38.95

-38.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.50 MAD 14.77

-3.33%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.9K MAD 294.5K

-29.57%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.7K MAD 322.5K

-17.73%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$36.51 MAD 360

70.28%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.90 MAD 97.5

22.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$33.95 MAD 334

-40.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$22.75 MAD 224

64.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$19.10 MAD 188

-80.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.24 MAD 61.4

4.01%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$181 MAD 1,779

307.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$9,550 MAD 94.1K

54.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$47.28 MAD 466

12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$39.31 MAD 387

-37.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$91.6 MAD 902

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$66.5 MAD 655

8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$314 MAD 3,096

53.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$185 MAD 1,824

66.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$476 MAD 4,686

111.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$283 MAD 2,788

123.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,129 MAD 11.1K

109.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$874 MAD 8,606

81.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$230 MAD 2,264

156.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.55

22.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oued Zem: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Oued Zem

$185 24.7% 40% $124

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Oued Zem

$201 26.8% 14.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Oued Zem

$110 14.7% 1.4% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Oued Zem

$80 10.7% 14.9% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Oued Zem

$113 15% 45.4% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Oued Zem

$26 3.4% 58.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Oued Zem

$35 4.7% 30% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $314 in Oued Zem. 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 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $41 in Oued Zem. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $201 in Oued Zem – so Oued Zem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Oued Zem

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

23:08 11:08 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

95,267

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MAD = 10.15 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.85 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Oued Zem 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Oued Zem

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 Oued Zem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 25% more than Oued Zem, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,126 in Oued Zem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oued Zem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $314 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $181 in Oued Zem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $751 in Oued Zem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Oued Zem – 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 Oued Zem. 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.