Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tunis

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunis: $857 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tunis, Tunisia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Tunis
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $857 in Tunis, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Tunis $857

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,321 in Tunis, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Tunis $1,321

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,786 in Tunis, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Tunis $1,786

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Tunis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Tunis are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tunis 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$5.09 TND 15.29
-55.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$22.52 TND 67.7
-15.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$6.08 TND 18.26
-8.72%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$1.15 TND 3.45
45.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$0.83 TND 2.48
-22.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.36 TND 1.07
-13.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$1.68 TND 5.03
40.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$2.63 TND 7.90
39.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$0.48 TND 1.44
306.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.46
$0.35 TND 1.05
311.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.03
$1.69 TND 5.06
-21.30%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.76 TND 5.29
29.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$10.06 TND 30.21
63.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$6.03 TND 18.11
-53.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$18.32 TND 55.0
-49.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$2.09 TND 6.29
12.44%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.79
$6.30 TND 18.92
-84.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.25 TND 3.74
28.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.80 TND 2.39
87.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.11
$0.83 TND 2.50
54.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.18
$0.65 TND 1.97
69.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.51 TND 1.53
39.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$0.33 TND 1.00
48.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$3.56 TND 10.71
16.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$6.48 TND 19.47
170.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.23 TND 3.69
30.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$1.52 TND 4.57
82.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.30
$0.32 TND 0.95
171.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$15.70 TND 47.16
244.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.04
$0.31 TND 0.93
274.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.29 TND 0.87
82.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$1.77 TND 5.31
36.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.88
$0.87 TND 2.61
66.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.5K
$38.6K TND 115.8K
-45.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.0K
$35.8K TND 107.5K
-24.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$59.3 TND 178
4.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$8.52 TND 25.60
42.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$21.30 TND 64.0
-5.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$33.70 TND 101
10.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$12.51 TND 37.57
-69.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$5.84 TND 17.55
11.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$107 TND 322
587.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.2K
$3,179 TND 9,551
364.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$44.74 TND 134
19.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$61.0 TND 183
-59.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$102 TND 307
-10.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,427
$81.5 TND 245
-11.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$385 TND 1,157
25.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$256 TND 769
20.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$654 TND 1,965
53.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$418 TND 1,257
51.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$1,478 TND 4,441
59.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$794 TND 2,385
100.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Tunis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$360 TND 1,081
63.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.65
-47.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tunis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Tunis
$256 17.2% $53
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Tunis
$227 3.3% $7.8
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Tunis
$130 19.9% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Tunis
$89 5.7% $5.3
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Tunis
$91 17.4% $14
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Tunis
$19 69.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Tunis
$45 9.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $385 in Tunis. 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 64% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Tunis. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $227 in Tunis – so Tunis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇹🇳 Tunis
🕒 Local time
09:37 9:37 AM
03:37 3:37 AM
6 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
728,453 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3 TND (1 TND = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Tunis 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Tunis

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 Tunis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Tunis?
Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Tunis, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Tunis?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,285 in Tunis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Tunis?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tunis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Tunis?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $107 in Tunis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Tunis?
Groceries cost about 3% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Chiang Mai or in Tunis?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $857 in Tunis, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Tunis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Tunis?
If budget matters most, go with Tunis. 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.

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