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 $816 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,207 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,597 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Madinat As Sultan Qaboos is about 5% 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 39% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 OMR 1.95

$1.96 ฿65.8

158.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.53 OMR 10.21

$18.35 ฿617

44.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$7.48 ฿252

4.68%

Cappuccino

$5.02 OMR 1.93

$2.02 ฿67.8

148.51%

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

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$0.85 ฿28.50

24.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 OMR 0.12

$0.36 ฿11.96

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.50 OMR 4.81

$2.14 ฿71.8

484.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.84 OMR 4.56

$3.59 ฿121

229.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 OMR 0.76

$1.65 ฿55.5

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.57 ฿52.7

-22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 OMR 0.67

$1.19 ฿40.02

45.38%

Eggs

$2.35 OMR 0.91

$1.94 ฿65.1

21.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 OMR 1.42

$16.19 ฿544

-77.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 OMR 1.89

$2.99 ฿101

64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 OMR 3.19

$10.94 ฿368

-24.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 OMR 0.97

$2.71 ฿91.2

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 OMR 0.65

$1.17 ฿39.25

43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 OMR 0.71

$1.69 ฿56.7

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$1.60 ฿54.0

-26.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 OMR 0.36

$1.38 ฿46.54

-31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 OMR 0.37

$1.20 ฿40.45

-19.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 OMR 0.41

$0.67 ฿22.50

59.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$0.56 ฿18.73

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 OMR 2.41

$4.64 ฿156

34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 OMR 6.09

$17.62 ฿593

-10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.39 OMR 1.69

$1.86 ฿62.5

136.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 OMR 2.96

$3.30 ฿111

132.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 OMR 1.16

$1.36 ฿45.90

122.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 OMR 0.29

$1.34 ฿44.98

-44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$8.21 ฿276

28.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 OMR 0.25

$1.22 ฿41.18

-46.72%

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

$23.1K OMR 8,893

$21.4K ฿718.1K

8.23%

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

$21.4K OMR 8,226

$22.5K ฿757.7K

-5.12%

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

$107 OMR 41.12

$70.7 ฿2,376

51.21%

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

$40.73 OMR 15.67

$14.04 ฿472

190.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.27

$17.49 ฿588

305.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 OMR 3.95

$5.92 ฿199

73.65%

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

$189 OMR 72.9

$309 ฿10.4K

-38.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K OMR 3,867

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-32.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.39 OMR 19.01

$55.8 ฿1,875

-11.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 OMR 15.05

$26.11 ฿878

49.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 OMR 30.30

$83.0 ฿2,792

-5.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 OMR 33.59

$70.5 ฿2,369

23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos vs $243 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 5% 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 $1,225 per month in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $1,292 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 $27.00 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $816 in Madinat As Sultan Qaboos and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Madinat As Sultan Qaboos costs $816 versus $861 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.