Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,149 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sur

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 Sur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,149 in Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sur $1,149

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,653 in Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sur $1,653

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,156 in Sur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sur $2,156

Chiang Mai is about 19% cheaper than Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Sur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sur 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.88 OMR 1.49

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$25.96 OMR 9.99

-26.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.63 OMR 2.94

-27.26%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$5.05 OMR 1.94

-66.93%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.73 OMR 0.28

-12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.27 OMR 0.10

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$12.80 OMR 4.93

-81.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$12.79 OMR 4.92

-71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.59 OMR 0.61

22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.23 OMR 0.48

17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.73 OMR 0.66

-23.12%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.95 OMR 0.75

16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.19 OMR 2.77

128.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.81 OMR 2.62

-59.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.99 OMR 3.46

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.35 OMR 0.91

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.06 OMR 0.41

50.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.80 OMR 0.31

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.76 OMR 0.29

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.54 OMR 0.21

103.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.55 OMR 0.60

-54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.53 OMR 0.21

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.38 OMR 2.45

-35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$15.86 OMR 6.11

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$6.10 OMR 2.35

-73.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$10.30 OMR 3.96

-73.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.32 OMR 1.28

-65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.61 OMR 1.01

-79.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.74 OMR 2.98

-68.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.53 OMR 0.20

173.58%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$24.7K OMR 9,491

-14.58%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$20.7K OMR 7,965

30.23%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$77.7 OMR 29.90

-19.96%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.09 OMR 8.89

-47.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$69.7 OMR 26.85

-71.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$86.3 OMR 33.21

-56.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.25 OMR 3.95

-36.68%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$502 OMR 193

46.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$6,458 OMR 2,486

128.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$56.9 OMR 21.89

-6.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$44.07 OMR 16.97

-44.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$88.9 OMR 34.23

2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$88.4 OMR 34.01

-18.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$257 OMR 99.0

87.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$271 OMR 104

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$467 OMR 180

115.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$385 OMR 148

64.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$583 OMR 224

305.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$515 OMR 198

208.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$2,660 OMR 1,024

-77.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sur

$271 23.5% 12.4% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sur

$252 21.9% 7.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sur

$125 10.9% 15.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sur

$170 14.8% 80.5% $76

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sur

$208 18.1% 168% $131

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sur

$16 * 1.4% 73.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sur

$107 9.3% 112% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $257 in Sur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sur are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Sur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $252 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇴🇲 Sur

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

21:45 9:45 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

120,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.429 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sur 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sur costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,724 in Sur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $26 in Sur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Sur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,149 in Sur. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,149 in Sur. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sur makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.