Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derna and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $173 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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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Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$173

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Derna and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $173 per month in Derna vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Derna $173
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $335 per month in Derna vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Derna $335
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $497 per month in Derna vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Derna $497
Chiang Mai $1,979

Derna is about 82% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Derna and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Derna 87% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 LYD 24.31

$2.24 ฿75.7

69.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.79 LYD 49.90

$19.00 ฿642

-59.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 LYD 20.10

$5.55 ฿188

-43.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.46 LYD 2.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 LYD 3.79

Cappuccino

$0.49 LYD 3.13

$1.67 ฿56.6

-70.66%

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

$0.32 LYD 2.08

$0.64 ฿21.56

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 LYD 4.65

$1.95 ฿65.8

-62.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 LYD 15.27

$1.33 ฿45.07

78.95%

Eggs

$0.90 LYD 5.75

$2.28 ฿77.1

-60.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 LYD 20.40

$2.78 ฿94.0

14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 LYD 5.12

$0.97 ฿32.82

-17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 LYD 5.86

$1.60 ฿53.9

-43.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 LYD 4.75

$1.16 ฿39.08

-36.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.96 LYD 89.5

$20.12 ฿680

-30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.77 LYD 204

$53.4 ฿1,802

-40.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 LYD 246

$24.64 ฿832

56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.87 LYD 249

$91.5 ฿3,089

-57.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.67 LYD 248

$71.9 ฿2,429

-46.25%

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)

$156 LYD 999

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-84.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.9 LYD 589

$633 ฿21.4K

-85.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$195 LYD 1,249

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-91.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$76.7 LYD 492

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-95.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 LYD 1,077

$590 ฿19.9K

-71.50%

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 Derna: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Derna

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Derna versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45 vs $234 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Derna

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

08:03 8:03 AM

5 h ahead of Derna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.13 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Derna Chiang Mai 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Derna
Chiang Mai

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

Derna vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 441% more than Derna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $259 per month in Derna and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $173 in Derna and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Derna about 82% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 424% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Derna, where all-in costs run around $173, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Derna 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 $173 in Derna to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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