Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Fes and Chiang Mai
For one person, living is cheaper in Fes: $675 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fes and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $675 per month in Fes vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.
Fes $675
Chiang Mai $938
A couple spends around $1,042 per month in Fes vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.
Fes $1,042
Chiang Mai $1,426
A family of three spends $1,408 per month in Fes vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.
Fes $1,408
Chiang Mai $1,914
🙂
Fes is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Fes and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Fes50% lower, Chiang Mai30% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.04MAD 29.68
$2.26฿75.4
34.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.52MAD 307
$19.18฿641
64.34%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.09MAD 59.4
$5.59฿187
8.94%
Cappuccino
$1.31MAD 12.82
$1.72฿57.6
-23.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54MAD 5.31
$0.64฿21.54
-15.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38MAD 3.75
$0.33฿11.18
15.15%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.67MAD 35.81
$2.36฿78.7
55.51%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20MAD 40.98
$3.90฿130
7.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.79MAD 7.72
$2.05฿68.6
-61.46%
White Bread(500g)
$0.54MAD 5.26
$1.40฿46.70
-61.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.74MAD 16.99
$1.28฿42.89
35.94%
Eggs
$1.87MAD 18.27
$2.25฿75.3
-16.89%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.74MAD 95.0
$16.94฿566
-42.50%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.44MAD 43.30
$2.74฿91.6
62.04%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.50MAD 92.6
$9.36฿313
1.50%
Apples(1kg)
$1.89MAD 18.46
$2.40฿80.3
-21.25%
Banana(1kg)
$1.57MAD 15.31
$1.01฿33.92
55.45%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.08MAD 10.53
$1.61฿53.9
-32.92%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.05MAD 10.21
$1.52฿50.7
-30.92%
Potato(1kg)
$0.91MAD 8.89
$1.28฿42.90
-28.91%
Onion(1kg)
$1.05MAD 10.27
$1.11฿37.22
-5.41%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.48MAD 4.70
$0.72฿24.09
-33.33%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57MAD 5.51
$0.52฿17.54
9.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31MAD 41.98
$4.33฿145
-0.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.52MAD 44.08
$17.73฿593
-74.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67MAD 26.07
$1.63฿54.4
63.80%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16MAD 30.85
$2.85฿95.3
10.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.39MAD 3.83
$0.85฿28.31
-54.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.14MAD 98.9
$53.9฿1,801
-81.19%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.64MAD 6.24
$1.17฿39.18
-45.30%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.75MAD 7.28
$0.57฿19.00
31.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
-
$2.37฿79.2
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.44MAD 14.00
$1.45฿48.32
-0.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9KMAD 339.9K
$20.5K฿684.3K
70.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5KMAD 336.5K
$26.5K฿886.1K
30.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$32.49MAD 317
$62.3฿2,083
-47.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.33MAD 101
$12.27฿410
-15.81%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.45MAD 346
$19.97฿668
77.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.35MAD 257
$37.91฿1,267
-30.49%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.30MAD 188
$3.76฿126
413.30%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03MAD 49.00
$6.71฿224
-25.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$94.6MAD 922
$797฿26.6K
-88.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,313MAD 61.6K
$14.8K฿495.7K
-57.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.29MAD 188
$53.3฿1,780
-63.77%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4MAD 511
$25.05฿837
109.26%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$81.8MAD 797
$91.6฿3,062
-10.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.7MAD 552
$73.5฿2,455
-22.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$313MAD 3,050
$464฿15.5K
-32.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$183MAD 1,782
$305฿10.2K
-40.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$539MAD 5,252
$915฿30.6K
-41.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$249MAD 2,431
$552฿18.5K
-54.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$724MAD 7,062
$1,912฿63.9K
-62.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$342MAD 3,333
$1,438฿48.1K
-76.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fes
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$483MAD 4,709
$595฿19.9K
-18.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5
5.57
-10.23%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Fes: October 13, 2026
Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Fes
$183 27.1%
Chiang Mai
$305 32.5% ↑ 66.7%$122
🛒Groceries & Markets
Fes
$178 26.4%
Chiang Mai
$238 25.4% ↑ 33.4%$60
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Fes
$95 14%
Chiang Mai
$110 11.7% ↑ 15.8%$15
🍽Eating Out
Fes
$89 13.2%
Chiang Mai
$79 8.4% ↓ 11.1%$9.9
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fes
$78 11.6%
Chiang Mai
$95 10.1% ↑ 20.8%$16
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Fes
$36 5.4%
Chiang Mai
$51 5.5% ↑ 41%$15
🚌Getting Around
Fes
$16 2.4%
Chiang Mai
$61 6.5% ↑ 281%$45
🏠Accommodation & Living
Fes
$249 17.7%
Chiang Mai
$552 28.9% ↑ 122%$303
🛒Groceries & Markets
Fes
$409 29%
Chiang Mai
$534 27.9% ↑ 30.6%$125
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Fes
$210 14.9%
Chiang Mai
$243 12.7% ↑ 15.8%$33
🍽Eating Out
Fes
$326 23.2%
Chiang Mai
$246 12.9% ↓ 24.5%$80
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fes
$89 6.3%
Chiang Mai
$107 5.6% ↑ 20.6%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Fes
$92 6.5%
Chiang Mai
$106 5.6% ↑ 15.5%$14
🚌Getting Around
Fes
$33 2.3%
Chiang Mai
$124 6.5% ↑ 277%$91
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $313 in Fes versus $464 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 23% 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 $32.00 in Fes versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Fes vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Fes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Fes vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fes or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Fes, 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 Fes and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,013 per month in Fes and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fes or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Fes and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $94.6 per month in Fes and $797 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 Fes or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 33% 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.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Fes or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fes, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Fes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Fes or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fes costs $675 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Fes compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Fes or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Fes. 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.