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 $757 per month in Ma'an vs $845 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,212 per month in Ma'an vs $1,323 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,667 per month in Ma'an vs $1,802 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ma'an is about 10% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ma'an and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ma'an 44% lower, Chiang Mai 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.90 JOD 4.90

$1.95 ฿62.6

253.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.65 JOD 34.50

$18.43 ฿591

163.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 JOD 4.85

$7.50 ฿241

-8.80%

Cappuccino

$4.15 JOD 2.94

$1.93 ฿62.0

115.03%

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

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$0.78 ฿24.98

-34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 JOD 0.27

$0.32 ฿10.38

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 JOD 3.89

$2.15 ฿68.9

155.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 JOD 4.92

$3.71 ฿119

87.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 JOD 1.04

$1.71 ฿55.0

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 JOD 0.38

$1.56 ฿50.1

-65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 JOD 1.20

$1.18 ฿37.91

44.07%

Eggs

$2.49 JOD 1.76

$1.98 ฿63.6

25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.60 JOD 4.68

$16.04 ฿515

-58.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 JOD 4.70

$3.17 ฿102

109.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 JOD 8.07

$10.94 ฿351

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 JOD 1.46

$2.63 ฿84.3

-22.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 JOD 1.25

$1.17 ฿37.45

50.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 JOD 1.04

$1.65 ฿52.8

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 JOD 0.54

$1.54 ฿49.31

-50.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 JOD 0.67

$1.38 ฿44.16

-31.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$1.17 ฿37.39

-35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 JOD 0.46

$0.66 ฿21.16

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.51 ฿16.48

13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 JOD 2.53

$4.52 ฿145

-21.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.53 JOD 15.26

$18.32 ฿588

17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.77 JOD 3.38

$1.80 ฿57.7

165.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 JOD 3.78

$3.18 ฿102

67.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿28.85

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$1.41 ฿45.32

-51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.31 ฿41.98

6.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 JOD 4.98

$8.09 ฿260

-13.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JOD 1.03

$1.28 ฿40.92

14.06%

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

$27.5K JOD 19.5K

$21.3K ฿683.3K

29.20%

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

$32.1K JOD 22.8K

$21.7K ฿696.5K

48.11%

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

$104 JOD 73.9

$69.2 ฿2,221

50.61%

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

$17.22 JOD 12.21

$13.97 ฿448

23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.89 JOD 22.61

$17.95 ฿576

77.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,358

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿214

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 JOD 8.06

$5.92 ฿190

92.06%

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

$274 JOD 194

$299 ฿9,601

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,338 JOD 3,784

$14.8K ฿476.5K

-64.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 JOD 44.26

$56.2 ฿1,803

11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 JOD 40.27

$26.94 ฿864

110.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 JOD 81.8

$84.9 ฿2,724

35.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 JOD 57.2

$71.8 ฿2,305

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,696

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.2K

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $0 in Ma'an versus $435 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 $49 in Ma'an versus $18 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 12% 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 $1,135 per month in Ma'an and $1,267 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 $18.00 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 $757 in Ma'an and $845 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ma'an costs $757 versus $845 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.