Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ta'izz

For one person, living is cheaper in Ta’izz: $667 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Ta'izz
Learn more

Ta'izz Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ta'izz

🇾🇪 Yemen

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ta'izz

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $667 in Ta’izz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Ta'izz $667

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,188 in Ta’izz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ta'izz $1,188

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,709 in Ta’izz, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ta'izz $1,709

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Ta’izz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Ta’izz are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ta’izz 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.27 YER 1,478

-66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$24.91 YER 5,878

-25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$9.35 YER 2,205

-40.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 YER 1,014

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 YER 1,175

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.67 YER 865

-54.77%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$1.17 YER 276

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.59 YER 139

-49.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$2.05 YER 483

-1.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.66 YER 391

-15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.05 YER 484

-32.20%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.58 YER 844

-33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$17.12 YER 4,040

-3.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$8.21 YER 1,937

-67.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$19.04 YER 4,493

-52.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$3.40 YER 803

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.01 YER 237

2.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$2.21 YER 521

-24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.72 YER 405

-9.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.51 YER 357

-17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.34 YER 315

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.24 YER 293

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.68 YER 160

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.50 YER 589

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 YER 443

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 YER 587

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.40 YER 1,275

-23.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.83 YER 195

12.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.88 YER 208

34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$2.09 YER 494

-91.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$7.30 YER 1,723

-75.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$2.09 YER 494

-29.67%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$17.1K YER 4.0M

23.17%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$35.2K YER 8.3M

-24.59%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$84.2 YER 19.9K

-25.67%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$23.60 YER 5,569

-50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$21.40 YER 5,048

-5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$5.90 YER 1,393

10.34%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$34.57 YER 8,156

2003.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$646 YER 152.4K

2465.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$41.95 YER 9,897

27.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$122 YER 28.8K

-79.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$43.04 YER 10.2K

110.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$41.69 YER 9,835

72.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$381 YER 89.8K

178.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$208 YER 49.1K

216.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$253 YER 59.7K

135.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ta'izz: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ta'izz

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ta'izz

$270 40.5% 14.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ta'izz

$112 16.8% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ta'izz

$129 19.4% 36.7% $35

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ta'izz

$129 19.4% 68.8% $53

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ta'izz

$15 * 2.2% 75% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ta'izz

$12 * 1.8% 76.8% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $25 in Ta’izz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $270 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇾🇪 Ta'izz

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

13:27 1:27 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

458,933

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ta'izz 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ta'izz

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 Ta'izz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Ta’izz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $1,000 in Ta’izz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $25 in Ta’izz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Ta’izz, where all-in costs run around $667, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Ta’izz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Ta’izz to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ta’izz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.