Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,726 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,726 in Sharjah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sharjah $1,726

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,594 in Sharjah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sharjah $2,594

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,462 in Sharjah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sharjah $3,462

Chiang Mai is about 46% cheaper than Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Sharjah is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$5.88 AED 21.58

-61.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$32.16 AED 118

-40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$8.13 AED 29.87

-31.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 AED 35.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 AED 34.12

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.12 AED 11.46

-46.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.75 AED 2.75

-14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.31 AED 1.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.59 AED 5.84

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.20 AED 4.40

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.82 AED 6.70

-26.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.32 AED 12.20

-31.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.65 AED 31.77

90.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.54 AED 24.01

-57.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.46 AED 42.09

-18.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.26 AED 8.28

3.98%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.75 AED 6.44

-44.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.32 AED 4.83

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.23 AED 4.50

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.08 AED 3.96

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.10 AED 4.06

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.42 AED 5.20

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.59 AED 2.18

-16.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.45 AED 56.8

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 AED 9.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 AED 9.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.57 AED 24.14

-36.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$2.12 AED 7.79

-58.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$27.55 AED 101

96.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.61 AED 13.26

-67.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.56 AED 2.07

-5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$12.03 AED 44.19

-79.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.97 AED 3.58

49.48%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$44.1K AED 162.1K

-52.29%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$21.0K AED 77.1K

28.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$212 AED 779

-70.70%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$48.90 AED 180

-75.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$98.0 AED 360

-79.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$54.3 AED 199

-31.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$22.44 AED 82.4

-83.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.82 AED 50.8

-53.04%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$340 AED 1,250

116.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$8,356 AED 30.7K

76.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$58.8 AED 216

-9.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$78.4 AED 288

-68.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$108 AED 396

-15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$93.8 AED 344

-23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$816 AED 2,996

-40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$784 AED 2,879

-60.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,831 AED 6,723

-45.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,578 AED 5,795

-59.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$7,442 AED 27.3K

-68.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,551 AED 9,368

-37.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,219 AED 8,149

-73.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sharjah

$784 45.4% 154% $475

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sharjah

$193 11.2% 17.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sharjah

$152 8.8% 40.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sharjah

$359 20.8% 280% $265

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sharjah

$113 6.6% 45.8% $36

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sharjah

$42 2.5% 30.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sharjah

$82 4.8% 62.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $816 in Sharjah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sharjah are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $32 in Sharjah. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Sharjah – so Sharjah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

20:23 8:23 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.245 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 AED (1 AED = 0.245 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sharjah 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharjah costs about 84% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $2,589 in Sharjah. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $816 in Sharjah.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $340 in Sharjah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Sharjah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,726 in Sharjah. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,726 in Sharjah. 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, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.