Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shubra Al Khaymah Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shubra Al Khaymah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $447 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,008 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Shubra Al Khaymah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.53 E£180

-43.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$16.03 E£819

17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.71 E£240

64.54%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.49 E£76.1

28.86%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.31 E£16.01

154.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.13 E£6.45

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.16 E£59.3

90.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.71 E£139

35.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.84 E£42.92

96.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.62 E£31.88

162.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.69 E£35.30

72.46%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.41 E£71.8

41.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.31 E£169

382.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$4.15 E£212

-26.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$8.40 E£429

29.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.43 E£73.1

93.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.55 E£28.07

114.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.40 E£20.29

310.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.40 E£20.20

280.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.40 E£20.56

245.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.40 E£20.46

197.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.24 E£12.32

191.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.21 E£10.53

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$2.01 E£103

127.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$5.70 E£291

190.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.23 E£62.9

48.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$1.78 E£91.0

79.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.16 E£8.07

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.38 E£19.52

257.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.29 E£14.63

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.00 E£51.1

684.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$0.33 E£17.00

272.73%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-39.83%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$30.2K E£1.5M

-25.40%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$11.11 E£567

534.92%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$5.58 E£285

145.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$9.90 E£506

76.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$22.06 E£1,126

87.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$3.01 E£154

91.69%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$88.9 E£4,540

245.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,828 E£93.3K

699.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$27.61 E£1,410

102.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$44.54 E£2,275

-41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$108 E£5,501

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$50.9 E£2,597

42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$191 E£9,738

125.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$101 E£5,137

137.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$315 E£16.1K

159.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$177 E£9,040

188.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$877 E£44.8K

126.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$381 E£19.5K

289.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-70.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $191 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $120 – making Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $670 in Shubra Al Khaymah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah, 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $447 in Shubra Al Khaymah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shubra Al Khaymah costs $447 versus $869 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. 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.