Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Umm Salal 'ali Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Umm Salal 'ali

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $747 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,231 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,715 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Umm Salal 'ali, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chiang Mai and Umm Salal 'ali are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Umm Salal 'ali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$6.81 QAR 24.80

-71.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$55.1 QAR 201

-65.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$6.79 QAR 24.70

16.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.84 QAR 43.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.93 QAR 39.77

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$4.98 QAR 18.12

-61.65%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.79 QAR 2.89

6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.31 QAR 1.12

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$2.07 QAR 7.54

-20.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$1.62 QAR 5.89

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$2.16 QAR 7.85

-45.37%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$2.66 QAR 9.69

-24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$11.59 QAR 42.20

37.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$7.94 QAR 28.91

-62.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

$10.48 QAR 38.14

2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.97 QAR 7.19

32.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.57 QAR 5.70

-22.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.56 QAR 5.66

8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$1.40 QAR 5.08

12.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$1.01 QAR 3.67

30.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$1.12 QAR 4.09

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$1.32 QAR 4.81

-49.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.49 QAR 1.77

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.50 QAR 34.57

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 QAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 QAR 10.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$6.28 QAR 22.86

-27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$2.18 QAR 7.95

-38.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$2.20 QAR 8.00

-38.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$13.63 QAR 49.60

-39.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$0.56 QAR 2.02

126.79%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$22.6K QAR 82.4K

-6.59%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$20.5K QAR 74.7K

9.62%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$92.3 QAR 336

-23.99%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$38.42 QAR 140

-64.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$87.0 QAR 317

-79.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$12.41 QAR 45.17

-53.42%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$787 QAR 2,866

-61.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$11.8K QAR 42.8K

26.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$62.1 QAR 226

-12.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$55.9 QAR 203

-53.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$101 QAR 368

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$89.9 QAR 327

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

-17.76%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $55.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Chiang Mai vs $211 in Umm Salal 'ali – so Umm Salal 'ali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Umm Salal 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 14% more than Umm Salal 'ali, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,120 in Umm Salal 'ali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $55.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $747 in Umm Salal 'ali, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Umm Salal 'ali costs $747 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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