Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouarzazate and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouarzazate: $706 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Ouarzazate
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Ouarzazate Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ouarzazate

🇲🇦 Morocco

$706

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $706 per month in Ouarzazate vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouarzazate $706
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,099 per month in Ouarzazate vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,099
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Ouarzazate vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ouarzazate $1,492
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ouarzazate is about 25% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ouarzazate and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ouarzazate 48% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 MAD 38.58

$2.24 ฿75.6

75.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.65 MAD 301

$19.00 ฿641

61.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 MAD 59.2

$5.55 ฿187

8.47%

Cappuccino

$2.47 MAD 24.29

$1.67 ฿56.5

47.90%

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

$0.56 MAD 5.46

$0.64 ฿21.54

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.60

$0.31 ฿10.31

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 MAD 64.5

$2.36 ฿79.5

177.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 MAD 54.8

$3.66 ฿124

52.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 MAD 7.81

$1.95 ฿65.7

-58.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MAD 8.38

$1.44 ฿48.46

-40.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MAD 14.43

$1.33 ฿45.03

10.53%

Eggs

$1.52 MAD 14.95

$2.28 ฿77.1

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 MAD 75.1

$16.45 ฿555

-53.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MAD 43.69

$2.78 ฿93.9

60.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 MAD 111

$9.31 ฿314

21.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.74 MAD 7.32

$2.35 ฿79.4

-68.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 MAD 12.34

$0.97 ฿32.79

29.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.64 MAD 6.25

$1.60 ฿53.9

-60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MAD 7.03

$1.50 ฿50.6

-52.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$1.28 ฿43.11

-48.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MAD 7.38

$1.10 ฿37.18

-31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 MAD 2.26

$0.71 ฿23.82

-67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MAD 5.97

$0.49 ฿16.36

24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 MAD 39.23

$4.14 ฿140

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 MAD 75.5

$17.52 ฿591

-56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 MAD 21.92

$1.61 ฿54.5

38.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MAD 33.27

$2.78 ฿93.9

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 MAD 4.94

$0.87 ฿29.30

-42.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MAD 183

$54.1 ฿1,825

-65.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 MAD 5.19

$1.16 ฿39.04

-54.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 MAD 6.10

$0.53 ฿17.80

16.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 MAD 69.7

$2.42 ฿81.7

192.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MAD 13.84

$1.45 ฿48.88

-2.76%

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

$30.1K MAD 296.4K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

43.17%

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

$30.9K MAD 303.6K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

14.66%

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

$35.09 MAD 345

$62.2 ฿2,098

-43.56%

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

$4.96 MAD 48.75

$12.17 ฿411

-59.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.40 MAD 250

$20.12 ฿679

26.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.27 MAD 248

$37.31 ฿1,259

-32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.98 MAD 177

$3.77 ฿127

376.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 MAD 63.0

$6.49 ฿219

-1.23%

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

$98.6 MAD 969

$736 ฿24.8K

-86.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 MAD 81.3K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-43.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.20 MAD 307

$53.4 ฿1,801

-41.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 MAD 431

$24.64 ฿831

78.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 MAD 790

$91.5 ฿3,087

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 MAD 783

$71.9 ฿2,427

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 MAD 2,730

$482 ฿16.3K

-42.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 MAD 1,732

$309 ฿10.4K

-42.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MAD 5,105

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MAD 2,606

$633 ฿21.4K

-58.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,196 MAD 11.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-49.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$828 MAD 8,134

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-47.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 MAD 1,979

$590 ฿19.9K

-65.87%

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 Ouarzazate: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ouarzazate

$176 24.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 75.4% $133

Groceries & Markets

Ouarzazate

$170 24%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 38% $65

Eating Out

Ouarzazate

$127 17.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 38.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Ouarzazate

$106 15%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 2.7% $2.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouarzazate

$65 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 44.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ouarzazate

$38 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 32% $12

Getting Around

Ouarzazate

$24 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 153% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Ouarzazate versus $482 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 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Ouarzazate versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $170 in Ouarzazate vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Ouarzazate wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Ouarzazate

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

16:57 4:57 PM

7 h ahead of Ouarzazate

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,067

127,240

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.17 USD

100 MAD = 9.11 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ouarzazate Chiang Mai 10,370 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouarzazate
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 32% more than Ouarzazate, 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 $1,059 per month in Ouarzazate 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 Ouarzazate, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Ouarzazate and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $706 in Ouarzazate and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ouarzazate – 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 Ouarzazate. 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.