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 $947 per month in Chiang Mai vs $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,411 per month in Chiang Mai vs $762 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,874 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,048 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 99% 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 31% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.4

$4.35 E£221

-52.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿644

$11.75 E£598

67.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$4.96 E£253

13.91%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.2

$1.37 E£69.6

32.12%

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

$0.71 ฿23.40

$0.29 E£14.52

144.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.36

$0.11 E£5.58

190.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.35 E£68.7

65.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.89 E£147

25.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.3

$0.90 E£45.56

117.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.29

$0.75 E£38.35

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.84

$0.66 E£33.80

103.03%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.3

$1.17 E£59.6

93.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿533

$3.93 E£200

313.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$4.62 E£235

-36.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿326

$9.75 E£496

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.4

$1.57 E£79.7

63.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.66

$0.77 E£39.21

37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$0.54 E£27.29

198.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.86

$0.38 E£19.55

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.68

$0.25 E£12.58

408.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿34.99

$0.31 E£15.52

245.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.63

$0.27 E£13.54

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.69

$0.20 E£10.15

155.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$2.00 E£102

109.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿586

$5.72 E£291

212.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.6

$1.25 E£63.4

35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.1

$2.72 E£138

4.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.36

$0.17 E£8.43

447.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,767

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.50

$0.61 E£31.00

101.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.92

$0.46 E£23.35

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.5

$2.00 E£102

21.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.34

$0.48 E£24.52

193.75%

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

$21.4K ฿703.6K

$33.1K E£1.7M

-35.26%

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

$27.3K ฿896.8K

$28.6K E£1.5M

-4.36%

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

$63.7 ฿2,089

$14.01 E£713

354.46%

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

$12.85 ฿422

$7.37 E£375

74.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿663

$13.62 E£693

48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,271

$20.57 E£1,046

88.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$2.93 E£149

130.03%

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

$778 ฿25.5K

$84.3 E£4,287

823.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿479.4K

$2,188 E£111.3K

567.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,781

$32.56 E£1,656

66.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿835

$44.89 E£2,283

-43.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,095

$126 E£6,421

-25.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,410

$54.0 E£2,747

36.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$146 E£7,406

236.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,492

$84.4 E£4,292

242.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.3K

$285 E£14.5K

213.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$160 E£8,139

223.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.1K

$802 E£40.8K

143.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$474 E£24.1K

211.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $146 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $12.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $132 – 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 99% 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 $1,421 per month in Chiang Mai and $715 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $12.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shibin Al Kawm, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Chiang Mai at $947. In Shibin Al Kawm 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. Shibin Al Kawm costs $476 versus $947 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.