Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sixth of October City

For one person, living is cheaper in Sixth of October City: $367 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Sixth of October City
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Sixth of October City Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Sixth of October City

🇪🇬 Egypt

$367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sixth of October City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Sixth of October City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $367 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Sixth of October City $367

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $591 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Sixth of October City $591

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $814 in Sixth of October City, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Sixth of October City $814

Chiang Mai costs about 152% more than Sixth of October City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sixth of October City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Sixth of October City 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.65 E£195

-37.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$13.71 E£732

43.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.02 E£161

85.76%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.76 E£40.61

118.42%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.36 E£19.48

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.10 E£5.25

210.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.29 E£68.9

86.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.84 E£45.11

132.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.30 E£16.23

370.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.51 E£27.47

156.86%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.30 E£69.3

67.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$2.51 E£134

563.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.67 E£196

-24.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$7.19 E£384

26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.00 E£53.2

139.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.62 E£33.12

66.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.27 E£14.41

503.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.19 E£10.00

689.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.35 E£18.73

268.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.23 E£12.21

382.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.22 E£11.73

227.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.17 E£9.16

211.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.61 E£85.8

167.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.16 E£8.69

437.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.34 E£17.89

255.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.48 E£25.76

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$0.96 E£51.3

144.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.39 E£20.83

269.23%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$30.9K E£1.6M

-32.89%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$22.7K E£1.2M

18.25%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$17.41 E£929

258.01%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.81 E£204

217.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$8.11 E£433

145.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$46.68 E£2,493

-20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$6.39 E£341

-40.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.36 E£126

175.42%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$38.85 E£2,075

1940.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,113 E£59.4K

1230.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$16.71 E£892

221.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$42.63 E£2,276

-42.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$75.2 E£4,017

20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$52.0 E£2,777

36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$122 E£6,513

273.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$62.2 E£3,322

378.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$150 E£7,984

507.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$94.0 E£5,019

489.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$744 E£39.7K

159.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$185 E£9,869

681.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$256 E£13.7K

130.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-78.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sixth of October City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Sixth of October City

$62 16.9% 79.1% $236

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Sixth of October City

$81 * 22.2% 65.5% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Sixth of October City

$84 22.9% 22.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Sixth of October City

$29 8% 68.9% $65

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Sixth of October City

$56 * 15.2% 29.1% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sixth of October City

$3.4 * 0.9% 94.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sixth of October City

$51 14% 2.7% $1.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $122 in Sixth of October City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 131% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Sixth of October City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $81.0 – making Sixth of October City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇪🇬 Sixth of October City

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

11:10 11:10 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

368,650

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sixth of October City 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sixth of October City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sixth of October City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 152% more than Sixth of October City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $551 in Sixth of October City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sixth of October City, 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 $14.00 in Sixth of October City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 189% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sixth of October City, where all-in costs run around $367, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sixth of October City 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. Sixth of October City costs $367 versus $925 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 Sixth of October City. 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.