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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,007 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 90% 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 36% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.53 E£178

-42.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$16.09 E£810

16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.73 E£238

66.17%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.48 E£74.7

37.16%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.29 E£14.53

175.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.12 E£6.14

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.20 E£60.5

78.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.78 E£140

32.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.79 E£39.82

118.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.62 E£31.23

153.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.66 E£33.13

81.82%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.45 E£73.1

35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$3.33 E£168

387.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.32 E£217

-29.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$8.46 E£426

27.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.41 E£70.8

96.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.55 E£27.54

112.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.40 E£20.03

327.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.37 E£18.42

329.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.40 E£20.24

247.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.41 E£20.60

182.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.24 E£12.09

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.20 E£9.90

160.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$1.96 E£98.6

137.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$5.75 E£289

209.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.24 E£62.2

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.77 E£89.2

88.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.16 E£8.24

468.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.39 E£19.53

261.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.29 E£14.49

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.03 E£51.7

687.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.33 E£16.70

272.73%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-40.26%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$30.8K E£1.6M

-29.23%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$11.28 E£567

532.36%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$5.76 E£290

143.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$9.86 E£496

81.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$22.17 E£1,115

84.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.98 E£150

91.95%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$90.3 E£4,543

241.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,864 E£93.8K

687.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$27.73 E£1,395

101.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$43.99 E£2,213

-40.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$105 E£5,300

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$49.76 E£2,503

42.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$190 E£9,570

122.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$100.0 E£5,029

142.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$312 E£15.7K

155.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$177 E£8,890

186.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$798 E£40.2K

140.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$388 E£19.5K

277.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $190 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: $244 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 90% 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $673 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 104% 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shubra Al Khaymah costs $449 versus $852 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.