Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahabad and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $528 per month in Mahabad vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mahabad $528
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $831 per month in Mahabad vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mahabad $831
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,135 per month in Mahabad vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mahabad $1,135
Chiang Mai $1,999

Mahabad is about 44% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mahabad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mahabad 61% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 $2.92

$2.13 ฿71.2

37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.31 $16.31

$18.62 ฿622

-12.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.60 ฿187

-28.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$1.66 ฿55.5

-31.93%

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

$0.51 $0.51

$0.65 ฿21.59

-21.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.30 ฿10.18

230.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$2.02 ฿67.3

-66.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.41 ฿47.00

-63.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.39 ฿46.46

50.36%

Eggs

$1.24 $1.24

$2.37 ฿79.0

-47.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$16.52 ฿551

-72.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.67 ฿89.1

25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 $7.85

$9.02 ฿301

-12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.40 ฿80.1

-57.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.04 ฿34.76

52.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.66 ฿55.4

-48.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.56 ฿52.0

-63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.24 ฿41.31

-54.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.09 ฿36.27

-56.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.76 ฿25.43

-28.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 $0.24

$0.51 ฿17.16

-52.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 $2.46

$4.12 ฿138

-40.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 $0.14

$0.93 ฿31.19

-84.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 $9.67

$52.9 ฿1,766

-81.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 $0.44

$1.18 ฿39.28

-62.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.17 ฿5.72

82.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.81 ฿60.5

45.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.10 $0.10

$1.47 ฿49.16

-93.20%

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

$50.0K $50.0K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

137.84%

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

$45.4K $45.4K

$26.5K ฿885.1K

71.30%

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

$12.98 $12.98

$62.6 ฿2,088

-79.25%

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

$1.57 $1.57

$11.60 ฿387

-86.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.81 $3.81

$20.30 ฿678

-81.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.40 $18.40

$37.88 ฿1,264

-51.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 $13.52

$3.70 ฿123

265.41%

Cinema Ticket

$2.04 $2.04

$6.51 ฿217

-68.66%

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

$107 $107

$727 ฿24.3K

-85.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,442 $2,442

$16.6K ฿553.2K

-85.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.95 $22.95

$53.5 ฿1,787

-57.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 $27.82

$24.80 ฿828

12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 $98.5

$90.4 ฿3,017

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 $73.7

$72.0 ฿2,402

2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 $290

$481 ฿16.1K

-39.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 $212

$310 ฿10.3K

-31.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 $806

$1,058 ฿35.3K

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 $356

$659 ฿22.0K

-45.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 $1,134

$2,418 ฿80.7K

-53.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$541 $541

$1,609 ฿53.7K

-66.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 $254

$595 ฿19.9K

-57.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

5.57

336.27%

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

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mahabad

$212 40.2%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 46.2% $98

Groceries & Markets

Mahabad

$108 20.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 120% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Mahabad

$100 19%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 8% $8

Eating Out

Mahabad

$55 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 39.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mahabad

$22 4.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 126% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahabad

$18 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 414% $76

Getting Around

Mahabad

$12 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 380% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Mahabad versus $481 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Mahabad versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $237 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

12:14 12:14 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of Mahabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,541

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mahabad Chiang Mai 5,530 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahabad
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mahabad vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $792 per month in Mahabad and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $107 per month in Mahabad and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Mahabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.