Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,102 in Qatif, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
Learn more

Qatif Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,102 in Qatif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Qatif $1,102

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,640 in Qatif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Qatif $1,640

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,178 in Qatif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Qatif $2,178

Chiang Mai is about 15% cheaper than Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Qatif are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Qatif 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.50 SAR 13.15

-36.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$34.91 SAR 131

-45.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$6.52 SAR 24.48

-14.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.10 SAR 11.62

-46.13%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.77 SAR 2.89

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.19 SAR 0.72

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.78 SAR 6.68

9.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.91 SAR 3.42

58.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.92 SAR 7.20

-30.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.10 SAR 7.89

8.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.90 SAR 22.14

178.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$7.90 SAR 29.64

-64.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$12.64 SAR 47.44

-26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.29 SAR 8.58

2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.59 SAR 5.95

0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.67 SAR 2.52

123.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.08 SAR 4.05

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.13 SAR 4.26

-2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.95 SAR 3.58

-25.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-10.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.26 SAR 23.48

-33.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$1.09 SAR 4.09

-20.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$36.50 SAR 137

48.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$2.46 SAR 9.22

-52.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$13.24 SAR 49.70

-81.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.61 SAR 2.29

137.70%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-27.55%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

32.54%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$104 SAR 388

-39.94%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$32.15 SAR 121

-62.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$59.3 SAR 222

-66.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$79.4 SAR 298

-53.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$21.38 SAR 80.2

-82.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.07 SAR 49.03

-50.34%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$264 SAR 992

178.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

87.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$32.16 SAR 121

65.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$21.10 SAR 79.2

16.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$95.5 SAR 358

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$90.7 SAR 340

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$586 SAR 2,199

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$374 SAR 1,402

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$807 SAR 3,029

24.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$578 SAR 2,171

9.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$943 SAR 3,537

150.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$796 SAR 2,987

99.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,257 SAR 8,471

-73.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.5

1.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Qatif

$374 33.9% 20.9% $65

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Qatif

$185 16.8% 20.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 0.8% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Qatif

$195 17.7% 106% $100

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Qatif

$89 8% 14.2% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 24.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Qatif

$106 9.6% 110% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $586 in Qatif. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Qatif are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $35 in Qatif. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $185 in Qatif – so Qatif wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

87,332

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, 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).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Qatif 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif costs about 18% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $1,653 in Qatif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $586 in Qatif.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $264 in Qatif. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Qatif – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,102 in Qatif. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,102 in Qatif. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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