Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Setif

For one person, living is cheaper in Setif: $412 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Setif
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Setif Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Setif

🇩🇿 Algeria

$412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $412 in Setif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Setif $412

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $683 in Setif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Setif $683

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $953 in Setif, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Setif $953

Chiang Mai costs about 124% more than Setif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Setif are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Setif 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.11 DZD 416

-26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$15.82 DZD 2,118

24.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.54 DZD 474

58.47%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.58 DZD 78.0

186.21%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.64 DZD 85.9

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.17 DZD 23.39

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.37 DZD 184

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.12 DZD 284

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.73 DZD 97.1

167.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.15 DZD 19.48

840.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.04 DZD 139

25.96%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.84 DZD 113

159.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.46 DZD 865

157.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.00 DZD 535

-31.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$14.51 DZD 1,943

-37.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.03 DZD 271

17.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$2.81 DZD 376

-63.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.13 DZD 151

44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.81 DZD 108

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.48 DZD 64.9

168.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.45 DZD 60.7

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.41 DZD 54.3

75.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.20 DZD 26.95

165.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.66 DZD 356

62.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$5.34 DZD 715

236.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.27 DZD 170

24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.95 DZD 262

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.12 DZD 15.86

616.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$5.64 DZD 755

844.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.58 DZD 77.8

108.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.36 DZD 48.66

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$4.81 DZD 644

-51.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.32 DZD 43.41

350.00%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$28.2K DZD 3.8M

-26.58%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$20.1K DZD 2.7M

33.26%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.09 DZD 4,698

77.63%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$9.61 DZD 1,287

26.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$12.55 DZD 1,680

58.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$17.42 DZD 2,332

112.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$5.64 DZD 755

-32.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.56 DZD 610

42.54%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$551 DZD 73.7K

43.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$6,358 DZD 851.2K

132.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$17.14 DZD 2,295

213.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$15.41 DZD 2,063

59.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$33.52 DZD 4,488

171.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$56.0 DZD 7,491

27.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$67.6 DZD 9,047

573.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$46.38 DZD 6,209

542.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$129 DZD 17.3K

602.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$112 DZD 15.0K

395.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$337 DZD 45.1K

473.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$294 DZD 39.3K

101.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Setif: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Setif

$46 11.2% 84.4% $251

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Setif

$162 39.3% 31.2% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Setif

$55 13.3% 49.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Setif

$57 13.9% 39.4% $37

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Setif

$57 13.8% 27.6% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Setif

$8.5 2.1% 86% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Setif

$27 6.4% 47% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $67.6 in Setif. 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 101% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Setif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $162 – making Setif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Setif

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

288,461

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, 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).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Setif 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Setif

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 Setif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 124% more than Setif, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $619 in Setif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Setif, 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 $551 in Setif. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Setif, where all-in costs run around $412, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Setif 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. Setif costs $412 versus $925 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 Setif. 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.