Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zahlah

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $997 in Zahlah, rent and utilities included – about $710 less a year. The total is higher in Zahlah despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Zahlah
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Zahlah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Zahlah

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $997 in Zahlah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Zahlah $997

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,599 in Zahlah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Zahlah $1,599

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,201 in Zahlah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Zahlah $2,201

Chiang Mai is about 6% cheaper than Zahlah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Zahlah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Zahlah 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$11.97 LBP 1.1M

-81.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$69.5 LBP 6.2M

-72.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$9.85 LBP 881.9K

-43.25%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$4.50 LBP 402.9K

-61.78%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$2.40 LBP 214.6K

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.91 LBP 81.3K

-63.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$5.01 LBP 448.5K

-52.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.83 LBP 432.6K

-19.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.94 LBP 173.8K

5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.87 LBP 77.6K

60.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$2.24 LBP 200.7K

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$3.55 LBP 317.8K

-36.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$11.24 LBP 1.0M

50.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$10.46 LBP 935.8K

-73.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

-36.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.01 LBP 269.1K

-20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.65 LBP 147.4K

-38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.62 LBP 144.8K

-0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.48 LBP 132.1K

2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.26 LBP 112.9K

1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.61 LBP 143.7K

-31.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.16 LBP 104.2K

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.93 LBP 262.0K

47.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

64.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.27 LBP 113.3K

28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.47 LBP 220.9K

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

-75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.24 LBP 200.1K

-74.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

-89.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

39.42%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$54.2K LBP 4.8B

-62.21%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

-17.93%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$233 LBP 20.9M

-73.30%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$22.43 LBP 2.0M

-45.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$37.64 LBP 3.4M

-46.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$9.81 LBP 878.1K

-31.60%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$675 LBP 60.4M

18.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$10.5K LBP 936.1M

41.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$67.0 LBP 6.0M

-20.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$48.56 LBP 4.3M

-48.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$138 LBP 12.3M

-33.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$119 LBP 10.6M

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Zahlah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Zahlah

$274 27.4% 14.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Zahlah

$167 16.8% 52.9% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Zahlah

$294 29.4% 210% $199

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Zahlah

$227 22.8% 188% $148

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Zahlah

$16 * 1.6% 73.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Zahlah

$20 * 2% 61.8% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $70.0 in Zahlah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $274 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Zahlah

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

78,145

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Zahlah 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zahlah

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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zahlah costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,496 in Zahlah. 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 $70.0 in Zahlah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Zahlah at $997. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zahlah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $997 in Zahlah. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zahlah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.