Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $796 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,214 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,632 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is about 8% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Madinat As Sultan Qaboos 41% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 OMR 1.94

$1.94 ฿63.5

160.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.54 OMR 9.83

$18.64 ฿609

37.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 OMR 3.06

$7.82 ฿255

1.53%

Cappuccino

$4.84 OMR 1.86

$1.95 ฿63.8

148.21%

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

$1.04 OMR 0.40

$0.85 ฿27.77

22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 OMR 0.12

$0.35 ฿11.58

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.20 OMR 4.70

$2.13 ฿69.6

472.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.72 OMR 4.51

$3.73 ฿122

214.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.71 ฿56.0

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.63 ฿53.2

-26.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.14 ฿37.15

50.88%

Eggs

$2.37 OMR 0.91

$1.93 ฿63.1

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 OMR 1.47

$16.21 ฿530

-76.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 OMR 1.94

$3.12 ฿102

61.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$10.90 ฿356

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 OMR 0.99

$2.75 ฿90.0

-6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 OMR 0.65

$1.21 ฿39.52

39.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$1.62 ฿53.0

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 OMR 0.43

$1.59 ฿51.8

-29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 OMR 0.37

$1.40 ฿45.70

-31.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$1.17 ฿38.17

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$0.66 ฿21.60

65.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 OMR 0.20

$0.53 ฿17.22

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 OMR 2.42

$4.69 ฿153

34.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$18.66 ฿609

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 OMR 1.65

$1.80 ฿58.8

137.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

$3.23 ฿106

142.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 OMR 1.20

$1.41 ฿45.91

119.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 OMR 0.29

$1.29 ฿42.12

-41.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 OMR 3.97

$7.84 ฿256

31.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.27 ฿41.58

-52.76%

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

$22.9K OMR 8,823

$21.3K ฿694.9K

7.70%

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

$21.6K OMR 8,308

$22.2K ฿725.4K

-2.85%

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

$109 OMR 41.88

$69.1 ฿2,256

57.48%

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

$40.91 OMR 15.75

$14.08 ฿460

190.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 OMR 27.26

$18.00 ฿588

293.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 OMR 3.96

$5.92 ฿193

73.65%

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

$194 OMR 74.7

$299 ฿9,766

-35.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,991 OMR 3,847

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-33.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 OMR 19.51

$54.7 ฿1,787

-7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.53 OMR 15.22

$26.77 ฿874

47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 OMR 30.84

$85.0 ฿2,776

-5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.04

$70.6 ฿2,306

25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

3.00%

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

Last update for Madinat As Sultan Qaboos: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Madinat As Sultan Qaboos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 9% more than Madinat As Sultan Qaboos, 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 $1,194 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $1,300 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 $26.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $796 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $866 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madinat As Sultan Qaboos costs $796 versus $866 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 Madinat As Sultan Qaboos. 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.