Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Duhok 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 Duhok and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $608 per month in Duhok vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duhok $608
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $978 per month in Duhok vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duhok $978
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,349 per month in Duhok vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Duhok $1,349
Chiang Mai $1,903

Duhok is about 34% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Duhok and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Duhok 55% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 IQD 5,111

$2.29 ฿76.5

47.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

$19.64 ฿656

-15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

$5.61 ฿188

31.91%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,665

$1.66 ฿55.6

46.39%

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

$0.32 IQD 481

$0.70 ฿23.40

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 294

$0.31 ฿10.24

-38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 IQD 2,550

$2.41 ฿80.4

-29.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$3.71 ฿124

-47.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$1.95 ฿65.3

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,016

$1.41 ฿47.03

-52.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.31 ฿43.62

12.98%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,391

$2.18 ฿72.9

-27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 IQD 7,359

$16.65 ฿556

-70.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 IQD 4,478

$2.76 ฿92.2

7.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

$9.11 ฿304

20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,489

$2.39 ฿80.0

-58.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,461

$1.03 ฿34.26

-5.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 1,136

$1.63 ฿54.4

-53.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$1.50 ฿50.0

-58.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$1.29 ฿43.13

-52.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$1.11 ฿37.03

-44.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$0.72 ฿24.08

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 787

$0.53 ฿17.59

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 IQD 2,609

$4.31 ฿144

-59.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

$17.95 ฿600

-38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,121

$1.58 ฿52.9

-11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,700

$2.84 ฿95.0

-36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 IQD 459

$0.86 ฿28.86

-65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-70.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$1.21 ฿40.29

32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,945

$0.57 ฿18.99

126.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 IQD 8,343

$2.35 ฿78.6

134.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$1.44 ฿47.96

-62.50%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-19.84%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-36.16%

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

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

39.98%

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

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

$12.11 ฿405

-26.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

$19.94 ฿666

19.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

$37.07 ฿1,239

35.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

$3.78 ฿126

602.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$6.50 ฿217

15.69%

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

$106 IQD 160.6K

$793 ฿26.5K

-86.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-81.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-81.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$24.62 ฿823

-17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-66.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-72.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 IQD 237.0K

$455 ฿15.2K

-65.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 174.7K

$298 ฿9,954

-61.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 496.7K

$908 ฿30.4K

-63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 IQD 489.1K

$554 ฿18.5K

-41.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 671.8K

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-76.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.1K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-74.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 IQD 627.4K

$591 ฿19.7K

-29.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

5.57

-54.58%

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

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$154 25.3%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 53.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$120 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 21.3% $26

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$116 19%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 158% $182

Eating Out

Duhok

$93 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 15.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 23.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 200% $72

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 144% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $157 in Duhok versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $17.00 in Duhok versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $235 – making Duhok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

04:35 4:35 AM

4 h ahead of Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

127,240

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Duhok Chiang Mai 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Duhok
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Duhok, 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 $912 per month in Duhok and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Duhok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $106 per month in Duhok and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Duhok, where all-in costs run around $608, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Duhok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duhok costs $608 versus $925 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 Duhok. 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.