Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Unaizah

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $1,221 in Unaizah, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Unaizah
Learn more

Unaizah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Unaizah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,221 in Unaizah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Unaizah $1,221

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,813 in Unaizah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Unaizah $1,813

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,405 in Unaizah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Unaizah $2,405

Chiang Mai is about 23% cheaper than Unaizah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Chiang Mai and Unaizah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Unaizah 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$6.68 SAR 25.07

-68.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$40.07 SAR 150

-53.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$7.05 SAR 26.48

-20.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.40 SAR 16.52

-62.27%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.73 SAR 2.73

-10.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.28 SAR 1.06

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.64 SAR 6.17

23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.44 SAR 1.67

220.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.27 SAR 8.51

-38.77%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.76 SAR 17.87

-50.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$4.55 SAR 17.09

263.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$4.66 SAR 17.50

-42.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$12.69 SAR 47.64

-28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.82 SAR 6.83

31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$2.00 SAR 7.51

-22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$2.11 SAR 7.92

-41.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-58.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-40.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.64 SAR 2.40

-20.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-38.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.95 SAR 3.56

-2.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$40.56 SAR 152

30.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$2.60 SAR 9.76

-54.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-89.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$16.03 SAR 60.2

-88.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.55 SAR 2.08

167.27%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$27.6K SAR 103.5K

-23.83%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$21.7K SAR 81.6K

21.93%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$103 SAR 386

-39.13%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$32.41 SAR 122

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$67.2 SAR 252

-69.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$54.1 SAR 203

-29.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$13.23 SAR 49.64

-50.79%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$471 SAR 1,767

54.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$9,262 SAR 34.8K

78.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$45.34 SAR 170

18.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$53.0 SAR 199

-53.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$100 SAR 377

-9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$80.4 SAR 302

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$588 SAR 2,207

-18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$440 SAR 1,651

-29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$760 SAR 2,853

39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$684 SAR 2,567

-3.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$2,056 SAR 7,716

17.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$1,255 SAR 4,711

28.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$2,550 SAR 9,570

-76.67%

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 Unaizah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Unaizah

$440 36% 42% $130

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Unaizah

$187 15.3% 21.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Unaizah

$126 10.3% 15.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Unaizah

$202 16.6% 114% $108

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Unaizah

$131 10.8% 71.7% $55

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Unaizah

$55 4.5% 6.6% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Unaizah

$81 6.6% 58.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $588 in Unaizah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Unaizah are about 4.3 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 Unaizah. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $187 in Unaizah – so Unaizah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇸🇦 Unaizah

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

163,729

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Unaizah 5,670 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Unaizah

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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Unaizah 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 $1,832 in Unaizah. 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 $588 in Unaizah.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $471 in Unaizah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Unaizah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $1,221 in Unaizah. 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 $1,221 in Unaizah. 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, Unaizah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.