Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibb and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Ibb and in Chiang Mai: $882 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Ibb
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Ibb Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ibb

🇾🇪 Yemen

$882

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $882 per month in Ibb vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibb $882
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,455 per month in Ibb vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibb $1,455
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $2,028 per month in Ibb vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ibb $2,028
Chiang Mai $1,903

Ibb is about 5% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ibb and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ibb 35% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 YER 1,541

$2.29 ฿76.5

185.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.34 YER 4,562

$19.64 ฿656

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.83 YER 2,084

$5.61 ฿188

57.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 YER 482

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 YER 593

Cappuccino

$3.81 YER 898

$1.66 ฿55.6

129.52%

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

$1.12 YER 265

$0.70 ฿23.40

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 YER 106

$0.31 ฿10.24

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 YER 463

$1.95 ฿65.3

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 YER 242

$1.41 ฿47.03

-27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 YER 484

$1.31 ฿43.62

56.49%

Eggs

$3.59 YER 848

$2.18 ฿72.9

64.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 YER 3,293

$16.65 ฿556

-16.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 YER 1,918

$2.76 ฿92.2

194.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 YER 4,439

$9.11 ฿304

106.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 YER 812

$2.39 ฿80.0

43.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 YER 246

$1.03 ฿34.26

0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 YER 507

$1.63 ฿54.4

31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 YER 406

$1.50 ฿50.0

14.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 YER 359

$1.29 ฿43.13

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 YER 314

$1.11 ฿37.03

19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 YER 195

$0.72 ฿24.08

15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 YER 160

$0.53 ฿17.59

28.30%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.56 YER 604

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 YER 441

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 YER 610

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 YER 921

$4.31 ฿144

-9.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 YER 495

$1.21 ฿40.29

73.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 YER 610

$0.57 ฿18.99

354.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 YER 1,736

$2.35 ฿78.6

213.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 YER 494

$1.44 ฿47.96

45.14%

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

$17.2K YER 4.0M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-17.20%

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

$35.0K YER 8.3M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

30.67%

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

$62.6 YER 14.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

0.45%

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

$15.86 YER 3,742

$12.11 ฿405

30.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.84 YER 7,039

$19.94 ฿666

49.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$5.88 YER 1,386

$6.50 ฿217

-9.54%

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

$24.47 YER 5,773

$793 ฿26.5K

-96.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,201 YER 519.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-85.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.87 YER 7,047

$53.7 ฿1,796

-44.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 YER 28.7K

$24.62 ฿823

394.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.40 YER 11.2K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-47.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.56 YER 9,804

$71.1 ฿2,378

-41.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 YER 75.5K

$455 ฿15.2K

-29.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 YER 60.6K

$298 ฿9,954

-13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 YER 177.5K

$908 ฿30.4K

-17.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 YER 148.9K

$554 ฿18.5K

13.97%

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)

$361 YER 85.1K

$591 ฿19.7K

-38.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.57

101.97%

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

Last update for Ibb: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ibb

$257 29.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 15.8% $41

Groceries & Markets

Ibb

$251 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 6.1% $15

Eating Out

Ibb

$131 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 39.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibb

$108 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 12.9% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ibb

$108 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Ibb

$15 * 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 305% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ibb

$12 * 1.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 326% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Ibb 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 64% 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 Ibb versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Ibb vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Ibb

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

4 h ahead of Ibb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,844

127,240

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

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Between locations

Ibb Chiang Mai 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibb
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Ibb, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,323 per month in Ibb 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 Ibb, 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 Ibb and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ibb, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Ibb 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. Ibb costs $882 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 Ibb. 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.