Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Jadida and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in El Jadida: $613 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

El Jadida, Morocco
Chiang Mai, Thailand
El Jadida
🇲🇦 Morocco
$613
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in El Jadida vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • El Jadida $613
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $921 per month in El Jadida vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • El Jadida $921
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,230 per month in El Jadida vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • El Jadida $1,230
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Both El Jadida and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – El Jadida 55% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.74 MAD 26.95
$2.24 ฿75.5
22.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.55 MAD 202
$19.00 ฿640
8.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.97 MAD 58.8
$5.55 ฿187
7.57%
Cappuccino
$1.51 MAD 14.85
$1.67 ฿56.4
-9.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 MAD 4.11
$0.64 ฿21.51
-34.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 MAD 2.97
$0.31 ฿10.29
-3.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.62 MAD 25.77
$2.36 ฿79.5
11.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 MAD 24.70
$3.66 ฿123
-31.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 MAD 9.66
$1.95 ฿65.7
-49.74%
White Bread (500g)
$0.36 MAD 3.58
$1.44 ฿48.41
-75.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 MAD 19.32
$1.33 ฿44.97
47.37%
Eggs
$1.88 MAD 18.54
$2.28 ฿77.0
-17.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.26 MAD 61.6
$16.45 ฿554
-61.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.02 MAD 39.59
$2.78 ฿93.8
44.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 MAD 73.8
$9.31 ฿314
-19.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.51 MAD 14.84
$2.35 ฿79.3
-35.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 MAD 13.83
$0.97 ฿32.75
45.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.65 MAD 6.36
$1.60 ฿53.8
-59.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.64 MAD 6.27
$1.50 ฿50.6
-57.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.68 MAD 6.65
$1.28 ฿43.06
-46.88%
Onion (1kg)
$0.50 MAD 4.94
$1.10 ฿37.14
-54.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.30 MAD 2.92
$0.71 ฿23.79
-57.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 MAD 5.04
$0.49 ฿16.34
4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.76 MAD 37.00
$4.14 ฿140
-9.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.97 MAD 39.04
$17.52 ฿590
-77.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 MAD 24.39
$1.61 ฿54.4
54.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 MAD 27.82
$2.78 ฿93.8
1.80%
🚌 Getting Around
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 MAD 4.38
$0.87 ฿29.27
-49.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.98 MAD 157
$54.1 ฿1,823
-70.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.04 MAD 10.20
$1.16 ฿39.00
-10.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.04 MAD 10.24
$0.53 ฿17.78
96.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 MAD 48.77
$2.42 ฿81.6
104.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 MAD 14.60
$1.45 ฿48.82
2.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K MAD 331.9K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
60.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K MAD 292.8K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
10.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.15 MAD 277
$62.2 ฿2,095
-54.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.90 MAD 97.4
$12.17 ฿410
-18.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.58 MAD 301
$20.12 ฿678
51.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.51 MAD 271
$37.31 ฿1,257
-26.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.73 MAD 115
$3.77 ฿127
211.14%
Cinema Ticket
$6.25 MAD 61.5
$6.49 ฿219
-3.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$111 MAD 1,093
$736 ฿24.8K
-84.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,097 MAD 30.5K
$14.8K ฿497.6K
-79.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.67 MAD 263
$53.4 ฿1,799
-50.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.40 MAD 348
$24.64 ฿830
43.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.3 MAD 633
$91.5 ฿3,083
-29.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.3 MAD 672
$71.9 ฿2,424
-5.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$203 MAD 1,996
$482 ฿16.3K
-57.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$165 MAD 1,628
$309 ฿10.4K
-46.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$361 MAD 3,556
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-64.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$226 MAD 2,221
$633 ฿21.3K
-64.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,544 MAD 15.2K
$2,363 ฿79.6K
-34.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$774 MAD 7,621
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-51.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Jadida
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$460 MAD 4,523
$590 ฿19.9K
-22.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.5
5.57
-1.26%

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

Last update for El Jadida: 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
El Jadida
$165
Chiang Mai
$309 86.7% $144
Groceries & Markets
El Jadida
$148
Chiang Mai
$234 58% $86
Clothing & Footwear
El Jadida
$88
Chiang Mai
$109 24.1% $21
Eating Out
El Jadida
$79
Chiang Mai
$78 1.7% $1.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Jadida
$69
Chiang Mai
$94 37.6% $26
Sport & Entertainment
El Jadida
$40
Chiang Mai
$50 25.6% $10
Getting Around
El Jadida
$24
Chiang Mai
$61 156% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $203 in El Jadida versus $482 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 28% 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 $21 in El Jadida versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $148 in El Jadida vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so El Jadida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇦 El Jadida
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
01:56 1:56 AM
08:56 8:56 AM
7 h ahead of El Jadida
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
237,464
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.84 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.13 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Jadida Chiang Mai 10,400 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • El Jadida
  • 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
El Jadida vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, El Jadida or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than El Jadida, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in El Jadida and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $919 per month in El Jadida and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, El Jadida or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in El Jadida, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in El Jadida and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $111 per month in El Jadida and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in El Jadida or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 58% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in El Jadida or in Chiang Mai?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in El Jadida, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In El Jadida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward El Jadida – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is El Jadida compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to El Jadida or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with El Jadida. 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.

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