Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sfax

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $620 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, 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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Sfax
Learn more

Sfax Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Sfax

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $620 in Sfax, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Sfax $620

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $975 in Sfax, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Sfax $975

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,329 in Sfax, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Sfax $1,329

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sfax are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sfax 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$3.43 TND 10.25

-37.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$19.82 TND 59.2

-2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$5.03 TND 15.04

8.75%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$0.71 TND 2.11

136.62%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.58 TND 1.73

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.27 TND 0.82

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$1.56 TND 4.67

55.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$2.02 TND 6.04

84.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.50 TND 1.50

312.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.24 TND 0.72

508.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.38 TND 4.12

-2.17%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.56 TND 4.65

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$12.32 TND 36.81

32.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$5.76 TND 17.20

-53.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$13.97 TND 41.75

-34.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.77 TND 5.29

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$3.08 TND 9.20

-66.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.04 TND 3.11

53.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$0.68 TND 2.05

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.81 TND 2.42

60.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.77 TND 2.30

44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.58 TND 1.72

20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.35 TND 1.03

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$3.87 TND 11.55

6.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$6.51 TND 19.44

173.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.19 TND 3.57

36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.04 TND 3.10

175.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.18 TND 0.55

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$9.98 TND 29.81

432.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$0.33 TND 1.00

269.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.34 TND 1.03

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$7.56 TND 22.59

-69.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$0.83 TND 2.48

80.72%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$36.5K TND 109.2K

-42.93%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$34.9K TND 104.3K

-23.43%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$44.47 TND 133

37.76%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$9.43 TND 28.18

32.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$14.85 TND 44.37

37.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$27.37 TND 81.8

38.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$7.32 TND 21.88

-48.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$4.46 TND 13.31

47.98%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$98.6 TND 295

685.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$2,470 TND 7,379

484.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$42.94 TND 128

27.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$36.43 TND 109

-30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$114 TND 340

-20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$66.2 TND 198

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$194 TND 580

136.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$135 TND 405

116.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$340 TND 1,014

170.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$217 TND 650

153.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,020 TND 3,047

88.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$745 TND 2,227

93.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$327 TND 977

81.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.6

-59.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sfax: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Sfax

$135 21.5% 53.9% $158

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Sfax

$193 30.7% 18.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Sfax

$117 18.6% 6.4% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sfax

$69 10.9% 27% $25

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Sfax

$66 10.5% 14.2% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sfax

$13 2% 78.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Sfax

$36 5.8% 29% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $194 in Sfax. 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 81% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Sfax. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Sfax – so Sfax wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇳 Sfax

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

11:40 11:40 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

955,421

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sfax 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sfax

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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 46% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $931 in Sfax. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfax, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $98.6 in Sfax. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% 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 Sfax, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Sfax 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. Sfax costs $620 versus $906 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 Sfax. 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.