Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,177 in Hafar Al Batin, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Hafar Al Batin
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Hafar Al Batin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Hafar Al Batin

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,177

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,177 per month in Hafar Al Batin vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafar Al Batin $1,177
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,740 per month in Hafar Al Batin vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafar Al Batin $1,740
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,303 per month in Hafar Al Batin vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Hafar Al Batin $2,303
Chiang Mai $1,979

Hafar Al Batin costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hafar Al Batin and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Hafar Al Batin 14% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 SAR 22.34

$2.24 ฿75.7

165.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.72 SAR 138

$19.00 ฿642

93.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$5.55 ฿188

44.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

Cappuccino

$3.19 SAR 11.97

$1.67 ฿56.6

91.02%

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

$0.89 SAR 3.32

$0.64 ฿21.56

39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.31 ฿10.32

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$1.95 ฿65.8

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$1.44 ฿48.51

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$1.33 ฿45.07

67.67%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.28 ฿77.1

2.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 SAR 27.60

$16.45 ฿556

-55.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.76

$2.78 ฿94.0

175.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 SAR 47.70

$9.31 ฿314

36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

$2.35 ฿79.5

-8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$0.97 ฿32.82

79.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$1.60 ฿53.9

-2.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$1.50 ฿50.7

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$1.28 ฿43.15

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.10 ฿37.22

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.60

$0.71 ฿23.84

71.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.13

$0.49 ฿16.38

16.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$4.14 ฿140

65.22%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.07

$0.87 ฿29.33

25.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$54.1 ฿1,827

-32.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$1.16 ฿39.08

126.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$0.53 ฿17.82

256.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.50

$2.42 ฿81.8

445.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.45

$1.45 ฿48.93

-55.17%

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

$28.6K SAR 107.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

36.02%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-18.85%

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

$103 SAR 386

$62.2 ฿2,100

65.24%

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

$32.43 SAR 122

$12.17 ฿411

166.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 SAR 246

$20.12 ฿680

226.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$37.31 ฿1,260

116.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$6.49 ฿219

101.23%

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

$427 SAR 1,604

$736 ฿24.9K

-41.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,044 SAR 30.2K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-45.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.48 SAR 156

$53.4 ฿1,802

-22.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 SAR 200

$24.64 ฿832

116.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 SAR 354

$91.5 ฿3,089

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 SAR 327

$71.9 ฿2,429

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,130

$482 ฿16.3K

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,403

$309 ฿10.4K

21.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SAR 3,012

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-20.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 SAR 2,106

$633 ฿21.4K

-11.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,396 SAR 8,993

$2,363 ฿79.8K

1.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,201

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-12.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,403 SAR 5,266

$590 ฿19.9K

137.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hafar Al Batin

$374 31.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 17.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Hafar Al Batin

$203 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 15.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafar Al Batin

$201 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 53% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Hafar Al Batin

$124 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 12.7% $16

Eating Out

Hafar Al Batin

$114 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 32.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Hafar Al Batin

$107 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 52.9% $56

Getting Around

Hafar Al Batin

$53 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 15.3% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $568 in Hafar Al Batin 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 in Hafar Al Batin are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Hafar Al Batin versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $203 in Hafar Al Batin vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Hafar Al Batin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Hafar Al Batin

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

4 h ahead of Hafar Al Batin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,642

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hafar Al Batin Chiang Mai 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Hafar Al Batin
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

Hafar Al Batin vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin costs about 26% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,765 per month in Hafar Al Batin and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $568 in Hafar Al Batin.

Kindergarten costs $427 per month in Hafar Al Batin and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Hafar Al Batin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,177 in Hafar Al Batin and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,177 in Hafar Al Batin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hafar Al Batin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.