Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sohag Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sohag

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $455 in Sohag, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $726 in Sohag, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $998 in Sohag, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Sohag, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Sohag are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Sohag 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.58 E£180

-43.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$15.86 E£798

17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.57 E£230

71.99%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.44 E£72.5

40.97%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.29 E£14.48

175.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.12 E£5.91

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.16 E£58.5

84.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.04 E£153

20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.89 E£44.67

94.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.59 E£29.59

166.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.56 E£28.21

114.29%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$1.55 E£78.1

27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$3.36 E£169

383.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.45 E£173

-11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$8.22 E£414

31.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.41 E£70.8

96.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.54 E£27.22

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.42 E£21.24

307.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.40 E£20.05

297.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.40 E£20.15

247.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.43 E£21.86

169.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.22 E£11.00

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.19 E£9.62

173.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$1.91 E£96.0

143.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$7.16 E£360

148.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.31 E£66.0

36.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.87 E£94.1

78.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.16 E£7.97

468.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.42 E£21.10

235.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.29 E£14.57

362.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$2.00 E£101

305.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$0.33 E£16.74

272.73%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-39.97%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$32.8K E£1.6M

-33.47%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$18.51 E£931

285.36%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$6.07 E£306

130.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$8.21 E£413

118.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$21.92 E£1,103

86.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.88 E£145

98.61%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$89.2 E£4,489

245.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,866 E£93.8K

686.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$27.29 E£1,373

104.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$48.27 E£2,428

-46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$107 E£5,376

-20.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$51.0 E£2,563

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$190 E£9,571

122.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$99.3 E£4,996

144.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$313 E£15.7K

155.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$177 E£8,910

186.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$773 E£38.9K

148.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$450 E£22.6K

225.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$138 E£6,928

332.01%

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 Sohag: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $190 in Sohag. 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 332% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Sohag. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $119 – making Sohag 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 Sohag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 87% more than Sohag, 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 $682 in Sohag. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 105% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $455 in Sohag, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sohag costs $455 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 Sohag. 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.