Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Essaouira vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Essaouira $781
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,563 per month in Essaouira vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Essaouira $1,563
Chiang Mai $1,903

Essaouira is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Essaouira and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Essaouira 42% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$2.29 ฿76.5

97.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$19.64 ฿656

-4.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$5.61 ฿188

31.19%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$1.66 ฿55.6

-19.88%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$0.70 ฿23.40

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$0.31 ฿10.24

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$2.41 ฿80.4

111.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$3.71 ฿124

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$1.95 ฿65.3

-53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$1.41 ฿47.03

-63.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.31 ฿43.62

27.48%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$2.18 ฿72.9

-25.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$16.65 ฿556

-51.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$2.76 ฿92.2

114.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$9.11 ฿304

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$2.39 ฿80.0

-46.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.03 ฿34.26

13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$1.63 ฿54.4

-59.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$1.50 ฿50.0

-48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$1.29 ฿43.13

-55.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$1.11 ฿37.03

-36.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$0.72 ฿24.08

-51.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$0.53 ฿17.59

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$4.31 ฿144

-10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$17.95 ฿600

-66.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$1.58 ฿52.9

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$2.84 ฿95.0

-26.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$0.86 ฿28.86

-1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$1.21 ฿40.29

-48.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$0.57 ฿18.99

12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.44 ฿47.96

2.78%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

49.70%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

19.79%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$62.3 ฿2,083

-61.27%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$12.11 ฿405

40.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$19.94 ฿666

50.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$6.50 ฿217

-21.54%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$793 ฿26.5K

-91.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-87.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$53.7 ฿1,796

-45.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$24.62 ฿823

74.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$90.9 ฿3,036

-34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$71.1 ฿2,378

-43.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$455 ฿15.2K

-15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$298 ฿9,954

12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$908 ฿30.4K

0.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$554 ฿18.5K

2.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$591 ฿19.7K

-56.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 10.9% $36

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 38.9% $66

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 29.7% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 39.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 32.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 391% $40

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 741% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Essaouira 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 132% 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 $19.00 in Essaouira versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $235 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

6 h ahead of Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

127,240

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Essaouira Chiang Mai 10,590 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Essaouira, 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 $1,172 per month in Essaouira 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 Essaouira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Essaouira and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Essaouira 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. Essaouira costs $781 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 Essaouira. 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.