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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $464 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $757 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,050 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 86% 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 36% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.65 E£186

-46.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$15.90 E£811

15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.71 E£241

58.81%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.49 E£76.2

35.57%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.31 E£16.01

174.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.10 E£5.17

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.17 E£59.6

82.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.02 E£154

18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.82 E£41.73

101.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.79 E£40.18

98.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.66 E£33.90

80.30%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.39 E£71.2

39.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$4.00 E£204

304.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.34 E£222

-31.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$9.75 E£498

12.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.49 E£76.1

81.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.55 E£27.92

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.42 E£21.62

302.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.39 E£20.02

310.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.40 E£20.64

245.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.41 E£20.81

192.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.24 E£12.28

179.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.19 E£9.78

194.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.97 E£100

135.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$5.95 E£304

196.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.41 E£71.8

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.64 E£135

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.19 E£9.86

363.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.55 E£28.18

147.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.42 E£21.54

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.00 E£102

310.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.33 E£16.89

269.70%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-38.74%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$33.3K E£1.7M

-32.30%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$11.16 E£570

533.24%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$5.62 E£287

149.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$9.96 E£508

75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$22.26 E£1,136

89.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.00 E£153

97.33%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$87.4 E£4,460

253.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,876 E£95.8K

693.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.05 E£1,381

106.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$49.27 E£2,515

-47.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$108 E£5,527

-23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$51.1 E£2,608

37.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$189 E£9,659

128.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$99.3 E£5,070

140.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$315 E£16.1K

161.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$179 E£9,156

185.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$696 E£35.5K

174.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$425 E£21.7K

245.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $189 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $131 – 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 86% 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $696 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 $18.00 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 86% 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $464 in Shibin Al Kawm, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shibin Al Kawm costs $464 versus $861 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.