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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $427 in Suez, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $670 in Suez, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $913 in Suez, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 102% more than Suez, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Suez are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Suez 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.50 E£179

-44.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$13.91 E£710

31.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.97 E£254

50.50%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.95 E£48.52

112.63%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.29 E£14.66

193.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.10 E£4.96

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.37 E£69.7

56.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.73 E£88.5

107.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.66 E£33.67

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.58 E£29.81

170.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.54 E£27.58

120.37%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.47 E£74.8

31.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.67 E£187

341.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$4.00 E£204

-25.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

$7.30 E£373

49.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.25 E£63.7

116.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.47 E£23.81

148.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.38 E£19.41

344.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.27 E£13.83

492.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.35 E£17.97

294.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.34 E£17.17

252.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.06 E£3.25

1016.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.23 E£11.61

143.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.72 E£88.0

169.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.89 E£352

155.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.41 E£71.8

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.77 E£90.3

86.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.18 E£9.37

388.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.17 E£8.54

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.10 E£5.06

1240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.17 E£60.0

601.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$0.29 E£14.78

320.69%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-39.88%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$32.9K E£1.7M

-31.44%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$16.52 E£843

327.78%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.99 E£204

251.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$8.11 E£414

115.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$22.66 E£1,157

86.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.14 E£109

176.64%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$32.42 E£1,655

851.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,288 E£65.7K

1055.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$18.08 E£923

208.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$42.05 E£2,146

-37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$110 E£5,610

-24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$15.68 E£801

349.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$188 E£9,616

129.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$101 E£5,152

136.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$307 E£15.7K

167.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$179 E£9,152

185.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$542 E£27.7K

252.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$267 E£13.6K

449.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$129 E£6,601

348.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-75.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Suez: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $188 in Suez. 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 348% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Suez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $114 – making Suez 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 Suez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 102% more than Suez, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $640 in Suez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suez, 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $14.00 in Suez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 113% 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $427 in Suez, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Suez costs $427 versus $861 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 Suez. 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.