Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rabigh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $959 in Rabigh, rent and utilities included – about $290 less a year. The total is higher in Rabigh despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
Learn more

Rabigh Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $959 in Rabigh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Rabigh $959

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,473 in Rabigh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Rabigh $1,473

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,987 in Rabigh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Rabigh $1,987

Chiang Mai and Rabigh have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Rabigh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rabigh 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$4.61 SAR 17.32

-53.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$26.72 SAR 100

-30.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$6.98 SAR 26.19

-19.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.68 SAR 10.04

-38.06%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.67 SAR 2.50

-2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.25 SAR 0.94

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.84 SAR 6.91

9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.01 SAR 3.80

39.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.16 SAR 8.10

-35.65%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.66 SAR 9.97

-10.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$6.07 SAR 22.79

172.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$11.92 SAR 44.73

-77.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$12.76 SAR 47.90

-29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.08 SAR 7.82

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.64 SAR 6.17

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.73 SAR 6.49

-4.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.47 SAR 5.51

6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.32 SAR 4.97

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.50 SAR 5.61

-27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.09 SAR 4.10

-30.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.72 SAR 2.71

-29.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.22

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$7.96 SAR 29.87

-48.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.04 SAR 3.92

-10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$36.96 SAR 139

43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-52.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$2.70 SAR 10.13

-93.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$13.59 SAR 51.0

-86.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$0.64 SAR 2.40

129.69%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$25.9K SAR 97.0K

-18.72%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

21.24%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$67.6 SAR 254

-7.51%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$35.15 SAR 132

-67.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$62.3 SAR 234

-67.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$80.0 SAR 300

-52.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$15.44 SAR 58.0

-57.84%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$420 SAR 1,575

73.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$7,799 SAR 29.3K

112.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$13.60 SAR 51.0

293.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$55.6 SAR 209

-55.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$40.18 SAR 151

124.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$52.7 SAR 198

36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$337 SAR 1,265

42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$241 SAR 903

28.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$612 SAR 2,296

72.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$431 SAR 1,619

52.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$1,983 SAR 7,443

21.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,363 SAR 5,117

18.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Rabigh

$241 25.1% 22.4% $69

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Rabigh

$218 22.8% 7.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Rabigh

$73 7.6% 32.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Rabigh

$165 17.2% 74.7% $71

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Rabigh

$94 9.8% 22.3% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Rabigh

$57 6% 2.7% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Rabigh

$111 11.6% 118% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $337 in Rabigh. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $27 in Rabigh. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $218 in Rabigh – so Rabigh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

92,072

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rabigh 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rabigh

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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,438 in Rabigh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rabigh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $27 in Rabigh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Rabigh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $959 in Rabigh. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $959 in Rabigh. 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.