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 $460 in Sohag, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $738 in Sohag, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,016 in Sohag, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 85% 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

$1.96 ฿64.0

$3.55 E£188

-44.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$15.60 E£827

20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$4.76 E£252

66.39%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.51 E£80.0

26.49%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.29 E£15.25

189.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.11 E£5.60

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.17 E£61.9

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.89 E£153

31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.90 E£47.92

82.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.62 E£33.04

161.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.61 E£32.08

93.44%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.58 E£83.8

27.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$3.40 E£180

367.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.31 E£175

-9.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$7.80 E£414

38.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.47 E£77.7

77.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.53 E£28.23

130.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.39 E£20.76

335.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.40 E£21.04

295.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.40 E£21.38

230.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.40 E£21.38

192.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.22 E£11.60

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.18 E£9.76

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$1.92 E£102

135.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$4.28 E£227

325.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.30 E£69.0

40.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.78 E£94.5

81.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.18 E£9.51

394.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.41 E£21.90

229.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.31 E£16.69

335.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.95 E£103

323.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.33 E£17.75

284.85%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$35.4K E£1.9M

-40.16%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$32.6K E£1.7M

-31.04%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$18.65 E£989

276.14%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$5.87 E£311

134.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$8.36 E£443

110.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$22.56 E£1,196

84.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.90 E£154

99.31%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$90.0 E£4,771

240.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,819 E£96.4K

715.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$27.86 E£1,477

95.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$48.78 E£2,586

-46.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$107 E£5,698

-21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$51.4 E£2,722

35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$187 E£9,906

126.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$98.7 E£5,233

141.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$304 E£16.1K

171.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$177 E£9,357

191.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$776 E£41.1K

164.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$397 E£21.0K

283.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$136 E£7,196

367.88%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sohag: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $187 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 368% 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: $243 vs $112 – 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 85% 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $691 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 117% 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 $460 in Sohag, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sohag costs $460 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.