Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sharm El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $442 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $442 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sharm El Sheikh $442

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $674 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sharm El Sheikh $674

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $905 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sharm El Sheikh $905

Chiang Mai costs about 112% more than Sharm El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sharm El Sheikh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$21.07 E£1,180

-9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.46 E£249

24.44%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$2.17 E£122

-23.04%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.33 E£18.71

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.51 E£28.57

-39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.46 E£194

-31.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$4.36 E£244

-16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.83 E£46.19

134.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$0.42 E£23.72

216.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.08 E£60.4

111.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.46 E£193

-19.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$1.39 E£77.8

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$0.45 E£25.39

115.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$0.42 E£23.78

280.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.26 E£14.42

476.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.06 E£115

100.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.39 E£78.0

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.08 E£4.38

987.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.43 E£24.08

237.21%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$29.6K E£1.7M

-28.96%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$20.4K E£1.1M

32.12%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.80 E£605

12.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$27.30 E£1,528

-26.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$337 E£18.8K

43.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$284 E£15.9K

8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$588 E£32.9K

71.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$506 E£28.3K

25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$950 E£53.2K

148.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$663 E£37.1K

139.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$141 E£7,910

317.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

26.5

-78.98%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $337 in Sharm El Sheikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Sharm El Sheikh. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $51 in Sharm El Sheikh – so Sharm El Sheikh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

03:28 3:28 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

38,478

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.97 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.31 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sharm El Sheikh 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 112% more than Sharm El Sheikh, 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 $663 in Sharm El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $442 in Sharm El Sheikh. That makes Sharm El Sheikh about 53% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 358% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $442 in Sharm El Sheikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $442 in Sharm El Sheikh to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Sharm El Sheikh. 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.