Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,192 in Janub-as-surrah, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Janub-as-surrah
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Janub-as-surrah Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Janub-as-surrah

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,192

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Janub-as-surrah vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Janub-as-surrah $1,192
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,136 per month in Janub-as-surrah vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Janub-as-surrah $2,136
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,080 per month in Janub-as-surrah vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Janub-as-surrah $3,080
Chiang Mai $1,979

Janub-as-surrah costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Janub-as-surrah and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Janub-as-surrah 12% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 KWD 2.21

$2.24 ฿75.6

219.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.63 KWD 14.06

$19.00 ฿641

140.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 KWD 2.48

$5.55 ฿187

45.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 KWD 0.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 KWD 0.89

Cappuccino

$4.68 KWD 1.44

$1.67 ฿56.5

180.24%

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

$0.50 KWD 0.15

$0.64 ฿21.54

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 KWD 0.09

$0.31 ฿10.31

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.95 ฿65.7

-36.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.44 ฿48.46

-38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 KWD 0.66

$1.33 ฿45.03

61.65%

Eggs

$2.24 KWD 0.69

$2.28 ฿77.1

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 KWD 1.41

$16.45 ฿555

-72.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 KWD 1.78

$2.78 ฿93.9

107.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.47 KWD 3.23

$9.31 ฿314

12.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 KWD 0.69

$2.35 ฿79.4

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$0.97 ฿32.79

68.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 KWD 0.37

$1.60 ฿53.9

-25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

$1.50 ฿50.6

-6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 KWD 0.45

$1.28 ฿43.11

13.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

$1.10 ฿37.18

-5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$0.71 ฿23.82

121.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.15

$0.49 ฿16.36

-4.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.78 KWD 0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 KWD 0.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KWD 0.83

$4.14 ฿140

-35.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 KWD 0.28

$0.87 ฿29.30

4.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 KWD 0.89

$1.16 ฿39.04

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 KWD 0.95

$0.53 ฿17.80

481.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.76 KWD 5.48

$2.42 ฿81.7

633.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.45 ฿48.88

-75.86%

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

$24.0K KWD 7,381

$21.1K ฿710.5K

13.73%

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

$20.5K KWD 6,314

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-23.95%

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

$59.0 KWD 18.20

$62.2 ฿2,098

-5.03%

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

$20.95 KWD 6.46

$12.17 ฿411

72.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.53 KWD 8.18

$20.12 ฿679

31.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.8 KWD 25.82

$37.31 ฿1,259

124.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 KWD 3.09

$6.49 ฿219

54.39%

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

$240 KWD 73.9

$736 ฿24.8K

-67.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,958 KWD 2,453

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.95 KWD 10.16

$53.4 ฿1,801

-38.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.25 KWD 13.64

$24.64 ฿831

79.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 KWD 33.52

$91.5 ฿3,087

18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 KWD 26.18

$71.9 ฿2,427

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 KWD 248

$482 ฿16.3K

67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 KWD 164

$309 ฿10.4K

72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 KWD 569

$1,006 ฿33.9K

83.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 KWD 467

$633 ฿21.4K

139.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Janub-as-surrah

$533 44.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 42.1% $225

Groceries & Markets

Janub-as-surrah

$164 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 43.3% $71

Eating Out

Janub-as-surrah

$141 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 44.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Janub-as-surrah

$122 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 10.9% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Janub-as-surrah

$107 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 11.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Janub-as-surrah

$104 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 51.6% $54

Getting Around

Janub-as-surrah

$22 * 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 180% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $806 in Janub-as-surrah 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Janub-as-surrah versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $164 in Janub-as-surrah vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Janub-as-surrah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Janub-as-surrah

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

4 h ahead of Janub-as-surrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,496

127,240

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.24 USD

1 KWD = 2.91 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.24 USD). 1 EUR = 0.344 KWD (1 KWD = 2.91 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Janub-as-surrah Chiang Mai 5,270 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Janub-as-surrah
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

Janub-as-surrah vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Janub-as-surrah costs about 27% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,788 per month in Janub-as-surrah 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 $806 in Janub-as-surrah.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Janub-as-surrah and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Janub-as-surrah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,192 in Janub-as-surrah 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 $1,192 in Janub-as-surrah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.