Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Marsa and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $775 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

La Marsa
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$775
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $775 per month in La Marsa vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • La Marsa $775
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,289 per month in La Marsa vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • La Marsa $1,289
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,804 per month in La Marsa vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • La Marsa $1,804
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

La Marsa is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both La Marsa and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – La Marsa 43% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.25 TND 9.74
$2.29 ฿76.5
41.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.84 TND 59.4
$19.64 ฿656
1.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.47 TND 16.39
$5.61 ฿188
-2.50%
Cappuccino
$1.31 TND 3.91
$1.66 ฿55.6
-21.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 TND 1.68
$0.70 ฿23.40
-20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 TND 0.77
$0.31 ฿10.24
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.48 TND 4.43
$2.41 ฿80.4
-38.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 TND 5.85
$3.71 ฿124
-47.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.50 TND 1.51
$1.95 ฿65.3
-74.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.32 TND 0.96
$1.41 ฿47.03
-77.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 TND 6.87
$1.31 ฿43.62
74.81%
Eggs
$1.81 TND 5.42
$2.18 ฿72.9
-16.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.61 TND 28.78
$16.65 ฿556
-42.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.61 TND 19.81
$2.76 ฿92.2
139.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 TND 38.91
$9.11 ฿304
42.59%
Apples (1kg)
$1.99 TND 5.97
$2.39 ฿80.0
-16.74%
Banana (1kg)
$3.69 TND 11.06
$1.03 ฿34.26
258.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 TND 4.34
$1.63 ฿54.4
-11.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 TND 1.89
$1.50 ฿50.0
-58.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.59 TND 1.77
$1.29 ฿43.13
-54.26%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 TND 2.03
$1.11 ฿37.03
-38.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 TND 1.31
$0.72 ฿24.08
-38.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28 TND 0.84
$0.53 ฿17.59
-47.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.61 TND 10.83
$4.31 ฿144
-16.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.55 TND 19.63
$17.95 ฿600
-63.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 TND 3.96
$1.58 ฿52.9
-16.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 TND 4.85
$2.84 ฿95.0
-42.96%
🚌 Getting Around
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 TND 1.06
$0.86 ฿28.86
-59.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.25 TND 21.70
$53.3 ฿1,780
-86.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 TND 0.87
$1.21 ฿40.29
-76.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.44 TND 1.30
$0.57 ฿18.99
-22.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 TND 12.14
$2.35 ฿78.6
72.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 TND 2.59
$1.44 ฿47.96
-40.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.2K TND 117.5K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
89.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.9K TND 107.5K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
33.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.06 TND 102
$62.3 ฿2,083
-45.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.67 TND 37.95
$12.11 ฿405
4.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.66 TND 55.9
$19.94 ฿666
-6.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.87 TND 128
$37.07 ฿1,239
15.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.09 TND 21.22
$3.78 ฿126
87.57%
Cinema Ticket
$5.37 TND 16.09
$6.50 ฿217
-17.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$58.7 TND 176
$793 ฿26.5K
-92.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,595 TND 7,773
$14.8K ฿494.9K
-82.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 TND 188
$53.7 ฿1,796
17.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.6 TND 208
$24.62 ฿823
182.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.5 TND 268
$90.9 ฿3,036
-1.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.0 TND 269
$71.1 ฿2,378
26.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$291 TND 871
$455 ฿15.2K
-36.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$234 TND 700
$298 ฿9,954
-21.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$704 TND 2,109
$908 ฿30.4K
-22.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$569 TND 1,704
$554 ฿18.5K
2.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,787 TND 5,353
$1,931 ฿64.5K
-7.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,026 TND 3,073
$1,445 ฿48.3K
-28.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Marsa
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$341 TND 1,021
$591 ฿19.7K
-42.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14
5.57
151.35%

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

Last update for La Marsa: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Marsa
$234
Chiang Mai
$298 27.5% $64
Groceries & Markets
La Marsa
$198
Chiang Mai
$235 19.1% $38
Clothing & Footwear
La Marsa
$140
Chiang Mai
$108 22.9% $32
Eating Out
La Marsa
$73
Chiang Mai
$79 8.1% $5.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Marsa
$65
Chiang Mai
$94 44.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
La Marsa
$54
Chiang Mai
$50 6.6% $3.5
Getting Around
La Marsa
$11
Chiang Mai
$61 447% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $291 in La Marsa 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 73% 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 $20.00 in La Marsa versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $235 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇳 La Marsa
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
12:39 12:39 PM
18:39 6:39 PM
6 h ahead of La Marsa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,987
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Marsa Chiang Mai 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Marsa
  • 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
La Marsa vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, La Marsa or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than La Marsa, 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 La Marsa and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,162 per month in La Marsa and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, La Marsa or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, 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 La Marsa and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $58.7 per month in La Marsa and $793 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 La Marsa or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 19% 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 $1,500/month in La Marsa or in Chiang Mai?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $775, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In La Marsa 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, La Marsa or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. La Marsa costs $775 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is La Marsa 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 La Marsa or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with La Marsa. 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.

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