Cost of Living Comparison Between Ma'an and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Ma'an and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $753 per month in Ma'an vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,207 per month in Ma'an vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,660 per month in Ma'an vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ma'an is about 12% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ma'an and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ma'an 43% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 JOD 5.10

$2.04 ฿68.4

252.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.01 JOD 34.69

$18.71 ฿626

161.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 JOD 5.10

$7.86 ฿263

-8.40%

Cappuccino

$4.01 JOD 2.84

$2.03 ฿67.9

97.54%

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

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$0.80 ฿26.71

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 JOD 0.27

$0.35 ฿11.71

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 JOD 3.94

$2.14 ฿71.7

159.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 JOD 4.96

$3.67 ฿123

91.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 JOD 1.01

$1.73 ฿57.8

-17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 JOD 0.39

$1.57 ฿52.5

-65.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JOD 1.15

$1.20 ฿40.10

35.83%

Eggs

$2.48 JOD 1.76

$1.97 ฿66.0

25.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.57 JOD 4.65

$16.23 ฿543

-59.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 JOD 4.71

$3.06 ฿102

117.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.66 JOD 8.25

$10.80 ฿361

7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 JOD 1.44

$2.77 ฿92.6

-26.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 JOD 1.21

$1.17 ฿39.05

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 JOD 1.03

$1.71 ฿57.1

-14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 JOD 0.57

$1.59 ฿53.3

-49.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 JOD 0.66

$1.39 ฿46.63

-33.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$1.16 ฿38.67

-36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$0.66 ฿22.11

-7.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 JOD 0.45

$0.52 ฿17.35

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 JOD 2.51

$4.65 ฿155

-23.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.09 JOD 14.93

$17.78 ฿595

18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.79 JOD 3.39

$1.79 ฿59.8

167.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 JOD 3.81

$3.34 ฿112

61.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 JOD 0.52

$1.41 ฿47.17

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$1.34 ฿44.82

2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 JOD 5.02

$8.11 ฿271

-12.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$1.23 ฿41.27

19.51%

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

$27.0K JOD 19.1K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

26.03%

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

$32.6K JOD 23.1K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

49.22%

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

$104 JOD 73.4

$71.3 ฿2,386

45.32%

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

$16.72 JOD 11.83

$14.01 ฿469

19.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.17 JOD 22.77

$17.93 ฿600

79.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$11.45 JOD 8.10

$5.72 ฿191

100.17%

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

$276 JOD 195

$308 ฿10.3K

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 JOD 3,879

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-62.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 JOD 43.51

$55.8 ฿1,865

10.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 JOD 40.00

$26.04 ฿871

117.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 JOD 81.9

$84.8 ฿2,837

36.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 JOD 56.5

$71.0 ฿2,375

12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

45.40%

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

Last update for Ma'an: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Ma'an versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ma'an vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Ma'an, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,129 per month in Ma'an and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Ma'an and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $753 in Ma'an and $852 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ma'an costs $753 versus $852 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 Ma'an. 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.