Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Umluj

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,230 in Umluj, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
Learn more

Umluj Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,230

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,230 in Umluj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Umluj $1,230

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,824 in Umluj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Umluj $1,824

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,418 in Umluj, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Umluj $2,418

Chiang Mai is about 24% cheaper than Umluj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Umluj are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Umluj 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$6.59 SAR 24.75

-67.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$39.59 SAR 149

-52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$8.45 SAR 31.71

-33.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 SAR 9.55

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.45 SAR 12.96

-51.88%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.83 SAR 3.12

-21.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.27 SAR 1.03

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.92 SAR 7.21

5.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$1.12 SAR 4.21

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$2.03 SAR 7.60

-31.53%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$2.48 SAR 9.30

-4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$6.36 SAR 23.88

159.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$8.73 SAR 32.76

-69.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$14.21 SAR 53.3

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$2.30 SAR 8.62

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$1.96 SAR 7.35

-46.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$1.37 SAR 5.16

21.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.40 SAR 5.26

11.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$1.08 SAR 4.04

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$1.27 SAR 4.78

-14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$1.41 SAR 5.28

-46.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.48 SAR 1.82

6.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.56 SAR 9.61

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.89 SAR 22.10

-30.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.19 SAR 4.48

-21.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$39.20 SAR 147

34.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$2.96 SAR 11.11

-60.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$1.57 SAR 5.90

-89.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$15.82 SAR 59.4

-88.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$0.53 SAR 1.99

177.36%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$33.3K SAR 125.1K

-36.93%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$21.3K SAR 79.8K

24.70%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$95.4 SAR 358

-34.39%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$35.71 SAR 134

-67.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$69.3 SAR 260

-70.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$80.5 SAR 302

-52.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$13.83 SAR 51.9

-52.93%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$378 SAR 1,420

92.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$11.6K SAR 43.4K

43.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$43.21 SAR 162

23.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$62.5 SAR 234

-60.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$92.6 SAR 348

-2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$87.8 SAR 330

-18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$558 SAR 2,093

-13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$407 SAR 1,528

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$875 SAR 3,286

20.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$611 SAR 2,292

7.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$2,201 SAR 8,261

9.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$1,179 SAR 4,427

36.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$4,181 SAR 15.7K

-85.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Umluj: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Umluj

$407 33.1% 31.3% $97

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Umluj

$207 16.8% 12.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Umluj

$129 10.5% 18.9% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Umluj

$200 16.3% 112% $106

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Umluj

$124 10.1% 61.9% $47

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Umluj

$55 4.5% 6.6% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Umluj

$108 8.8% 113% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $558 in Umluj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Umluj are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $40 in Umluj. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $207 in Umluj – so Umluj wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Umluj

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

37,757

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Umluj 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Umluj

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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj costs about 31% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $1,845 in Umluj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $558 in Umluj.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $378 in Umluj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Umluj – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,230 in Umluj. 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $1,230 in Umluj. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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