Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sale, Morocco

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $625 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Sale
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Sale Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Sale

🇲🇦 Morocco

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $625 in Sale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Sale $625

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,030 in Sale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Sale $1,030

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,434 in Sale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Sale $1,434

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sale are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sale 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$3.58 MAD 35.03

-40.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$17.72 MAD 173

5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$7.08 MAD 69.2

-20.90%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.82 MAD 17.74

-8.79%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.53 MAD 5.13

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.30 MAD 2.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$2.60 MAD 25.46

-10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.10 MAD 30.32

18.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.88 MAD 8.57

129.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.62 MAD 6.02

127.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$1.95 MAD 19.04

-28.72%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.89 MAD 18.51

25.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$11.30 MAD 110

46.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$6.51 MAD 63.6

-58.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$12.09 MAD 118

-25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.38 MAD 13.45

73.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.21 MAD 11.83

-14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.94 MAD 9.22

76.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.88 MAD 8.65

77.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.70 MAD 6.88

77.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.73 MAD 7.14

49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.43 MAD 4.19

76.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.62 MAD 6.03

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.81 MAD 37.20

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$4.50 MAD 43.94

298.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.12 MAD 20.71

-23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.14 MAD 20.88

31.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.54 MAD 5.27

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$22.81 MAD 223

131.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.74 MAD 7.21

59.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.53 MAD 5.21

-67.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$4.06 MAD 39.65

-55.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.46 MAD 14.26

0.68%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$30.3K MAD 295.8K

-30.58%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$29.8K MAD 291.2K

-11.02%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$37.19 MAD 364

68.22%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$10.04 MAD 98.1

15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$40.87 MAD 399

-50.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$16.01 MAD 156

136.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$40.98 MAD 401

-90.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$5.03 MAD 49.19

29.42%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$101 MAD 986

620.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$5,838 MAD 57.1K

183.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$31.59 MAD 309

69.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$46.56 MAD 455

-46.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$71.8 MAD 701

25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$64.4 MAD 629

11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$205 MAD 1,999

135.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$100 MAD 978

209.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$356 MAD 3,478

197.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$256 MAD 2,504

157.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,126 MAD 11.0K

114.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$812 MAD 7,936

98.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$508 MAD 4,962

17.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Sale

$100 16% 67.7% $210

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Sale

$192 30.7% 18.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Sale

$96 15.4% 11% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sale

$88 14.1% 6.7% $6.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Sale

$94 15.1% 23% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sale

$28 4.5% 51.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Sale

$26 4.2% 48.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $205 in Sale. 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 17% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Sale. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $192 – making Sale the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇦 Sale

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

19:11 7:11 PM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

890,403

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MAD = 10.23 USD

100 MAD = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Chiang Mai Sale 10,220 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sale

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $938 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $205 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $101 in Sale. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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