Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shibin Al Kawm Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shibin Al Kawm

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $755 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,033 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 82% more than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Shibin Al Kawm are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$3.50 E£182

-44.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$16.08 E£835

15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.77 E£248

63.94%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.45 E£75.1

34.48%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.31 E£16.28

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.11 E£5.95

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.22 E£63.3

74.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.92 E£152

27.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.80 E£41.42

113.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.74 E£38.57

120.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.65 E£33.79

75.38%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.38 E£71.6

39.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$3.83 E£199

323.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.41 E£229

-29.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$9.39 E£487

16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.49 E£77.1

84.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.59 E£30.38

105.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.40 E£20.51

305.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.39 E£20.40

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.41 E£21.22

241.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.44 E£22.60

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.22 E£11.37

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.20 E£10.19

165.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$1.93 E£100

143.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$5.71 E£296

226.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.36 E£70.8

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.59 E£135

24.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.17 E£8.78

429.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.52 E£27.07

171.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.42 E£22.03

207.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.01 E£105

290.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$0.31 E£15.93

309.68%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-39.94%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-33.62%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$11.49 E£596

501.13%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$5.60 E£291

151.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$10.19 E£529

76.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$22.57 E£1,172

81.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.02 E£157

96.03%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$90.0 E£4,673

232.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,855 E£96.3K

705.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$27.26 E£1,415

100.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$49.49 E£2,568

-45.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$108 E£5,619

-21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$49.82 E£2,586

41.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$191 E£9,912

124.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$101 E£5,216

136.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$303 E£15.7K

164.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$175 E£9,074

194.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$674 E£35.0K

192.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$410 E£21.3K

260.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-70.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Shibin Al Kawm. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $128 – making Shibin Al Kawm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Shibin Al Kawm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 82% more than Shibin Al Kawm, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $714 in Shibin Al Kawm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 92% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shibin Al Kawm costs $476 versus $866 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 Shibin Al Kawm. 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.