Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,556 per month in Muscat vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Muscat $1,556
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,299 per month in Muscat vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Muscat $2,299
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,042 per month in Muscat vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Muscat $3,042
Chiang Mai $1,914

Muscat costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Muscat sits 15% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$2.26 ฿75.4

135.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$19.18 ฿641

103.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$5.59 ฿187

38.82%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$1.72 ฿57.6

186.63%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.64 ฿21.54

32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.33 ฿11.18

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$2.36 ฿78.7

445.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$3.90 ฿130

235.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$2.05 ฿68.6

12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.40 ฿46.70

-11.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.28 ฿42.89

46.09%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$2.25 ฿75.3

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$16.94 ฿566

-57.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$2.74 ฿91.6

152.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$9.36 ฿313

12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$2.40 ฿80.3

46.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$1.01 ฿33.92

99.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$1.61 ฿53.9

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$1.52 ฿50.7

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$1.28 ฿42.90

-9.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.11 ฿37.22

15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$0.72 ฿24.09

148.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.52 ฿17.54

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$4.33 ฿145

52.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$17.73 ฿593

-10.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$1.63 ฿54.4

269.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

$2.85 ฿95.3

262.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$0.85 ฿28.31

56.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

$53.9 ฿1,801

44.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$1.17 ฿39.18

171.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$0.57 ฿19.00

359.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$2.37 ฿79.2

230.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.45 ฿48.32

-58.62%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$20.5K ฿684.3K

26.68%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-15.51%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$62.3 ฿2,083

182.80%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$12.27 ฿410

130.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$19.97 ฿668

254.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$37.91 ฿1,267

65.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

$3.76 ฿126

696.28%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$6.71 ฿224

56.78%

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

$283 OMR 109

$797 ฿26.6K

-64.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-28.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$53.3 ฿1,780

6.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$25.05 ฿837

72.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$91.6 ฿3,062

-0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$73.5 ฿2,455

17.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$464 ฿15.5K

45.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$305 ฿10.2K

51.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$915 ฿30.6K

44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$552 ฿18.5K

47.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$1,912 ฿63.9K

50.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$1,438 ฿48.1K

12.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$595 ฿19.9K

177.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

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

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 33.8% $156

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 18.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 65.7% $181

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 64.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 12.3% $15

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 38.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 38.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Muscat 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 177% higher in Muscat, 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 $39.00 in Muscat versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

3 h ahead of Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Muscat Chiang Mai 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
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

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

Muscat costs about 66% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $2,334 per month in Muscat 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $283 per month in Muscat 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 23% more in Muscat, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Muscat at $1,556. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Muscat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,556 in Muscat. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Muscat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.