Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Riffa

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,211 in Riffa, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Riffa
Learn more

Riffa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Riffa

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,211 in Riffa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Riffa $1,211

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,868 in Riffa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Riffa $1,868

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,525 in Riffa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Riffa $2,525

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Riffa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Riffa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Riffa 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$5.23 BHD 1.97

-56.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$38.96 BHD 14.70

-49.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$6.08 BHD 2.30

-7.73%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.04 BHD 1.52

-58.91%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.68 BHD 0.26

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.27 BHD 0.10

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$6.43 BHD 2.43

-62.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$8.16 BHD 3.08

-54.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.38 BHD 0.52

41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.63 BHD 0.24

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.81 BHD 0.68

-27.62%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.30 BHD 0.87

-5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$7.84 BHD 2.96

112.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$5.92 BHD 2.23

-53.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$8.38 BHD 3.16

8.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.31 BHD 0.87

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.73 BHD 0.65

-40.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.80 BHD 0.68

-9.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.05 BHD 0.40

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.00 BHD 0.38

29.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.67 BHD 0.25

65.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.54 BHD 0.20

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.55 BHD 0.21

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.43 BHD 2.05

-20.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$13.12 BHD 4.95

36.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.80 BHD 0.68

-12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.59 BHD 0.98

9.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.81 BHD 0.31

6.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$35.72 BHD 13.48

49.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-77.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$3.42 BHD 1.29

-83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$10.40 BHD 3.93

-77.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.49 BHD 0.19

193.88%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$22.5K BHD 8,506

-8.02%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$20.1K BHD 7,597

33.14%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$133 BHD 50.3

-53.23%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$24.43 BHD 9.22

-50.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$34.66 BHD 13.08

-42.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$72.9 BHD 27.51

-49.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$13.45 BHD 5.08

-71.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$10.52 BHD 3.97

-38.21%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$481 BHD 182

64.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,589 BHD 2,109

164.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$28.99 BHD 10.94

85.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$21.34 BHD 8.06

15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$66.4 BHD 25.06

36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$39.70 BHD 14.98

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$916 BHD 346

-50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$429 BHD 162

-30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$1,535 BHD 579

-40.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$862 BHD 325

-35.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$1,392 BHD 525

-57.54%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Riffa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Riffa

$429 35.5% 44.2% $132

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Riffa

$203 16.7% 13.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Riffa

$70 5.8% 34.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Riffa

$192 15.9% 104% $98

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Riffa

$161 13.3% 105% $82

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Riffa

$61 5.1% 1.1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Riffa

$94 7.8% 87.7% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $916 in Riffa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 136% higher in Riffa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $39.00 in Riffa. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $203 in Riffa – so Riffa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇭 Riffa

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

121,566

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Riffa 5,020 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Riffa

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 Riffa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riffa costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,817 in Riffa. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $481 in Riffa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Riffa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Riffa at $1,211. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Riffa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $1,211 in Riffa. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Riffa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.