Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Umm Salal Mohammed

For one person, living is cheaper in Umm Salal Mohammed: $232 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Umm Salal Mohammed

🇶🇦 Qatar

$232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Umm Salal Mohammed

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 Umm Salal Mohammed actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Umm Salal Mohammed $232

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $390 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Umm Salal Mohammed $390

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $548 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Umm Salal Mohammed $548

Chiang Mai costs about 303% more than Umm Salal Mohammed, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Umm Salal Mohammed are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Umm Salal Mohammed 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$2.24 QAR 8.15

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.54 QAR 5.60

-6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.60 QAR 9.46

-48.85%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.61 QAR 9.49

-12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.44 QAR 30.74

94.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$5.06 QAR 18.41

-45.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.64 QAR 35.10

-3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.97 QAR 7.18

19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.55 QAR 5.63

-37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.13 QAR 4.10

41.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.37 QAR 8.62

-36.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.83 QAR 3.03

54.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.66 QAR 6.05

-33.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.88 QAR 6.86

-62.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.43 QAR 1.56

13.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.43 QAR 45.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 QAR 5.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.93 QAR 21.58

-30.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.08 QAR 3.94

-19.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$33.30 QAR 121

62.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$2.15 QAR 7.82

-46.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$5.63 QAR 20.51

-57.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.60 QAR 2.18

141.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$20.4K QAR 74.3K

31.96%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal Mohammed: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇶🇦 Umm Salal Mohammed

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

16:05 4:05 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

33,909

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.246 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.06 QAR (1 QAR = 0.246 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Umm Salal Mohammed 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Umm Salal Mohammed

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 Umm Salal Mohammed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 303% more than Umm Salal Mohammed, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $348 in Umm Salal Mohammed. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed. That makes Umm Salal Mohammed about 75% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Umm Salal Mohammed, where all-in costs run around $232, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Umm Salal Mohammed 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 $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed to $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.