Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $449 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $720 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $991 in Qalyub, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 93% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$3.61 E£188

-46.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$16.06 E£833

16.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.69 E£243

66.74%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.50 E£78.1

30.00%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.31 E£16.31

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.12 E£6.36

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.27 E£65.8

67.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.70 E£140

38.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.84 E£43.64

103.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.59 E£30.67

176.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.67 E£34.60

70.15%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.44 E£74.5

34.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.38 E£175

379.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.26 E£221

-26.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$8.42 E£437

29.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.46 E£75.9

88.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.57 E£29.61

112.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.43 E£22.12

276.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.36 E£18.93

341.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.41 E£21.13

241.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.40 E£20.74

192.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.24 E£12.53

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.19 E£9.82

178.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.95 E£101

140.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$5.62 E£292

232.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.22 E£63.4

47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.76 E£91.6

83.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.18 E£9.39

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.39 E£19.99

261.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.29 E£15.01

344.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$0.96 E£49.62

716.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$0.30 E£15.79

323.33%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-39.24%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$30.2K E£1.6M

-26.36%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$11.14 E£578

520.02%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$5.59 E£290

151.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$9.91 E£515

81.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$22.38 E£1,161

83.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.01 E£156

96.68%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$88.0 E£4,564

240.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,830 E£95.0K

717.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$27.74 E£1,439

97.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$44.04 E£2,286

-39.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$107 E£5,566

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$50.1 E£2,602

40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$193 E£10.0K

121.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$99.6 E£5,168

138.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$309 E£16.0K

159.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$178 E£9,264

188.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$776 E£40.3K

154.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$408 E£21.2K

261.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $193 in Qalyub. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $120 – making Qalyub the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 93% more than Qalyub, 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $673 in Qalyub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qalyub, 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 $16.00 in Qalyub. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $449 in Qalyub, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Qalyub costs $449 versus $866 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 Qalyub. 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.