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 $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $460 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $746 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,032 in Qalyub, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 103% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Qalyub 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$4.18 E£218

-50.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$16.16 E£843

21.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.60 E£240

23.26%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.34 E£70.1

35.07%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.31 E£15.99

148.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.12 E£6.49

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.31 E£68.4

68.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.25 E£117

68.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.84 E£43.97

144.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.70 E£36.39

115.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.61 E£31.71

129.51%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.16 E£60.3

94.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$3.88 E£202

317.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$4.52 E£235

-35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.17 E£478

2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.60 E£83.5

67.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.73 E£38.15

49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.52 E£27.29

211.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.35 E£18.16

317.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.27 E£14.10

374.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.31 E£15.99

241.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.29 E£15.27

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.19 E£9.93

178.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$1.98 E£103

113.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$5.66 E£295

223.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 E£66.9

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.17 E£113

33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.18 E£9.61

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.40 E£21.06

192.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.19 E£10.15

205.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.58 E£82.6

51.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$0.46 E£24.00

215.22%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$33.0K E£1.7M

-36.26%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$28.0K E£1.5M

-5.63%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$13.98 E£729

355.29%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$7.24 E£377

78.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$13.49 E£703

52.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$17.32 E£903

125.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$0.92 E£48.02

326.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.84 E£148

131.69%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$84.0 E£4,380

833.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$2,129 E£111.0K

589.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$32.59 E£1,699

69.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$43.95 E£2,292

-43.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$115 E£6,014

-18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$53.5 E£2,791

38.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$131 E£6,837

274.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$75.9 E£3,956

279.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$253 E£13.2K

252.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$148 E£7,734

251.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$762 E£39.8K

158.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$424 E£22.1K

240.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.21

-65.64%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $131 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $127 – 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 103% 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $689 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 $20.00 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 89% 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 Qalyub, where all-in costs run around $460, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Qalyub 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. Qalyub costs $460 versus $932 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.