Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marrakech and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Marrakech: $889 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Marrakech
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Marrakech Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Marrakech

🇲🇦 Morocco

$889

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Marrakech vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Marrakech $889
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,327 per month in Marrakech vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Marrakech $1,327
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,765 per month in Marrakech vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Marrakech $1,765
Chiang Mai $1,914

Marrakech is about 5% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marrakech and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Marrakech 34% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.60 MAD 35.10

$2.26 ฿75.4

59.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.92 MAD 301

$19.18 ฿641

61.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 MAD 58.8

$5.59 ฿187

7.87%

Cappuccino

$2.29 MAD 22.32

$1.72 ฿57.6

33.14%

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

$1.96 MAD 19.11

$0.64 ฿21.54

206.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$0.33 ฿11.18

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 MAD 66.3

$2.36 ฿78.7

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 MAD 52.1

$3.90 ฿130

36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 MAD 8.06

$2.05 ฿68.6

-59.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MAD 7.90

$1.40 ฿46.70

-42.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MAD 15.29

$1.28 ฿42.89

22.66%

Eggs

$2.00 MAD 19.48

$2.25 ฿75.3

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 MAD 76.8

$16.94 ฿566

-53.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 MAD 52.9

$2.74 ฿91.6

97.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MAD 112

$9.36 ฿313

22.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 MAD 15.86

$2.40 ฿80.3

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MAD 13.87

$1.01 ฿33.92

40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 MAD 8.83

$1.61 ฿53.9

-43.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 MAD 7.75

$1.52 ฿50.7

-47.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 6.99

$1.28 ฿42.90

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 MAD 7.57

$1.11 ฿37.22

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.24

$0.72 ฿24.09

-68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MAD 5.51

$0.52 ฿17.54

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MAD 39.97

$4.33 ฿145

-5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 MAD 77.1

$17.73 ฿593

-55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 MAD 22.12

$1.63 ฿54.4

39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MAD 32.69

$2.85 ฿95.3

17.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MAD 3.83

$0.85 ฿28.31

-54.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.21 MAD 256

$53.9 ฿1,801

-51.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 MAD 8.47

$1.17 ฿39.18

-25.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.24

$0.57 ฿19.00

12.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 MAD 71.2

$2.37 ฿79.2

208.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MAD 14.48

$1.45 ฿48.32

2.76%

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

$33.9K MAD 331.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

65.80%

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

$30.2K MAD 294.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

13.88%

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

$35.87 MAD 350

$62.3 ฿2,083

-42.45%

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

$8.89 MAD 86.6

$12.27 ฿410

-27.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.31 MAD 364

$19.97 ฿668

86.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.67 MAD 280

$37.91 ฿1,267

-24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.14 MAD 206

$3.76 ฿126

462.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MAD 61.5

$6.71 ฿224

-6.11%

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

$101 MAD 985

$797 ฿26.6K

-87.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,211 MAD 80.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-44.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.02 MAD 312

$53.3 ฿1,780

-39.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 MAD 437

$25.05 ฿837

78.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 MAD 813

$91.6 ฿3,062

-8.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 MAD 794

$73.5 ฿2,455

10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 MAD 4,769

$464 ฿15.5K

5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 MAD 3,027

$305 ฿10.2K

1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 MAD 7,154

$915 ฿30.6K

-19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 MAD 4,339

$552 ฿18.5K

-19.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MAD 18.8K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

0.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 MAD 9,145

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-34.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 MAD 4,791

$595 ฿19.9K

-17.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.57

-19.21%

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

Last update for Marrakech: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marrakech

$310 34.9%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 1.9% $5.8

Groceries & Markets

Marrakech

$185 20.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 28.4% $53

Eating Out

Marrakech

$130 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 39% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Marrakech

$109 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 0.7% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marrakech

$82 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 15.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Marrakech

$41 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 24.4% $10

Getting Around

Marrakech

$32 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 92.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $489 in Marrakech versus $464 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 run about 21% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Marrakech versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Marrakech vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Marrakech wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Marrakech

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

18:28 6:28 PM

6 h ahead of Marrakech

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,002,697

127,240

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Marrakech Chiang Mai 10,430 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Marrakech
Chiang Mai

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

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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 6% more than Marrakech, 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 $1,334 per month in Marrakech and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marrakech, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $101 per month in Marrakech and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Marrakech, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Marrakech it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Marrakech costs $889 versus $938 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 Marrakech. 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.