Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tripoli, Lebanon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,060 in Tripoli, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Tripoli
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Tripoli Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tripoli

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,060 in Tripoli, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tripoli $1,060

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,612 in Tripoli, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tripoli $1,612

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,164 in Tripoli, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tripoli $2,164

Chiang Mai is about 12% cheaper than Tripoli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Tripoli are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tripoli 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.92 LBP 440.5K

-54.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$49.85 LBP 4.5M

-61.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$8.89 LBP 795.8K

-37.57%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$4.04 LBP 361.4K

-58.66%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.52 LBP 135.9K

-57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.91 LBP 81.5K

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.92 LBP 440.7K

-52.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.73 LBP 423.5K

-22.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.31 LBP 117.3K

48.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

69.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.51 LBP 135.3K

-11.92%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.17 LBP 104.4K

94.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$10.96 LBP 981.2K

50.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.47 LBP 578.7K

-57.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.09 LBP 992.9K

-16.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.04 LBP 271.8K

-22.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.63 LBP 146.2K

-40.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.60 LBP 143.3K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.48 LBP 43.0K

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.58 LBP 51.5K

120.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.61 LBP 144.2K

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

-16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.46 LBP 41.4K

6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.08 LBP 275.9K

34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$11.18 LBP 1.0M

56.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.28 LBP 114.4K

25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.58 LBP 231.1K

7.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$5.04 LBP 451.4K

-76.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.97 LBP 87.0K

-45.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$20.26 LBP 1.8M

-88.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.10 LBP 98.3K

31.82%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$53.5K LBP 4.8B

-60.61%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$32.5K LBP 2.9B

-17.16%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$213 LBP 19.0M

-70.75%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$14.16 LBP 1.3M

-14.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$22.64 LBP 2.0M

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.90 LBP 3.6M

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.85 LBP 881.6K

-34.11%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$689 LBP 61.7M

6.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$3,420 LBP 306.1M

331.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

-21.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.42 LBP 4.4M

-50.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$139 LBP 12.4M

-33.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$121 LBP 10.8M

-40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$402 LBP 36.0M

20.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$201 LBP 17.9M

54.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$737 LBP 66.0M

36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$343 LBP 30.7M

84.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,184 LBP 105.9M

99.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$843 LBP 75.5M

88.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$448 LBP 40.1M

31.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tripoli

$201 18.9% 35.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tripoli

$212 20% 9.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tripoli

$170 16% 56.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tripoli

$249 23.5% 164% $155

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tripoli

$158 14.9% 104% $81

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tripoli

$9.9 * 0.9% 83.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tripoli

$60 5.6% 18.5% $9.3

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 $402 in Tripoli. 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 32% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $50 in Tripoli. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $212 in Tripoli – so Tripoli wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Tripoli

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

999,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tripoli 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tripoli

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 Tripoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripoli costs about 13% 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 $1,590 in Tripoli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tripoli, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $402 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $50 in Tripoli. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Tripoli – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,060 in Tripoli. 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 $1,060 in Tripoli. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.