Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khafji and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $667 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khafji, Saudi Arabia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$667
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $667 per month in Khafji vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Khafji $667
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Khafji vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Khafji $1,050
  • Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,434 per month in Khafji vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Khafji $1,434
  • Chiang Mai $1,999

Khafji is about 29% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Khafji and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Khafji 51% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.18 SAR 11.92
$2.13 ฿72.0
49.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.01 SAR 131
$18.62 ฿628
88.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.91 SAR 18.44
$5.60 ฿189
-12.32%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 SAR 3.42
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 SAR 5.87
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.94 SAR 11.05
$1.66 ฿56.1
77.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 SAR 2.90
$0.65 ฿21.82
18.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 SAR 0.77
$0.30 ฿10.29
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.32 ฿78.3
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.67 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 SAR 6.80
$2.02 ฿68.0
-10.40%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 SAR 5.04
$1.41 ฿47.49
-4.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 SAR 6.97
$1.39 ฿46.94
33.81%
Eggs
$2.18 SAR 8.18
$2.37 ฿79.9
-8.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.28 SAR 27.33
$16.52 ฿557
-55.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.80 SAR 29.29
$2.67 ฿90.1
192.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.01 SAR 48.82
$9.02 ฿304
44.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 SAR 8.49
$2.40 ฿80.9
-5.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 SAR 6.43
$1.04 ฿35.12
64.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 SAR 6.09
$1.66 ฿56.0
-2.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.55 SAR 5.81
$1.56 ฿52.6
-0.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.12 SAR 4.19
$1.24 ฿41.75
-9.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 SAR 4.32
$1.09 ฿36.65
5.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 SAR 4.72
$0.76 ฿25.70
65.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 SAR 2.15
$0.51 ฿17.34
11.76%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.07 SAR 15.27
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 SAR 5.41
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 SAR 8.37
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.52 SAR 28.24
$4.12 ฿139
82.52%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$17.93 ฿605
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.62 ฿54.8
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.82 ฿95.2
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.93 ฿31.52
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,784
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.20 SAR 8.27
$1.18 ฿39.69
86.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 SAR 5.09
$0.17 ฿5.78
700.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.97 SAR 52.4
$1.81 ฿61.1
671.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.42
$1.47 ฿49.67
-56.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K SAR 109.0K
$21.0K ฿708.7K
38.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K SAR 81.4K
$26.5K ฿894.4K
-18.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 SAR 478
$62.6 ฿2,110
103.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.36 SAR 125
$11.60 ฿391
187.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.2 SAR 241
$20.30 ฿685
216.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$37.88 ฿1,278
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.70 ฿125
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.42 SAR 50.4
$6.51 ฿220
106.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$135 SAR 506
$727 ฿24.5K
-81.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,038 SAR 15.2K
$16.6K ฿559.0K
-75.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.09 SAR 158
$53.5 ฿1,806
-21.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.50 SAR 182
$24.80 ฿836
95.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 SAR 364
$90.4 ฿3,049
7.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.2 SAR 342
$72.0 ฿2,428
26.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$670 SAR 2,515
$481 ฿16.2K
39.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$310 ฿10.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$659 ฿22.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,418 ฿81.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,609 ฿54.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khafji
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.57
5.92%

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

Last update for Khafji: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
$225
Chiang Mai
$94 58% $131
Groceries & Markets
Khafji
$201
Chiang Mai
$237 17.7% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
$125
Chiang Mai
$108 13.7% $17
Eating Out
Khafji
$79
Chiang Mai
$77 3.5% $2.8
Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
$27 *
Chiang Mai
$51 89.6% $24
Getting Around
Khafji
$9 *
Chiang Mai
$59 553% $50
Accommodation & Living
Khafji
- *
Chiang Mai
$310

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $670 in Khafji versus $481 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 $35 in Khafji versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $201 in Khafji vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Khafji wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Khafji
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:52 12:52 PM
16:52 4:52 PM
4 h ahead of Khafji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,012
127,240
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Khafji Chiang Mai 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Khafji
  • 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
Khafji vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Khafji or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 40% more than Khafji, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Khafji and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,000 per month in Khafji and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Khafji or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $670 in Khafji.
How do dining costs compare in Khafji and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Khafji and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Khafji or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 18% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Khafji or Chiang Mai?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $667 in Khafji to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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