Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,102 in Qatif, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Qatif vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qatif $1,102
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,640 per month in Qatif vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qatif $1,640
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in Qatif vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Qatif $2,178
Chiang Mai $1,979

Qatif costs about 18% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Qatif and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Qatif 19% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 SAR 13.15

$2.24 ฿75.6

56.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 SAR 131

$19.00 ฿641

83.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 SAR 24.48

$5.55 ฿187

17.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

Cappuccino

$3.10 SAR 11.62

$1.67 ฿56.5

85.63%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$0.64 ฿21.54

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.72

$0.31 ฿10.31

-38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.95 ฿65.7

-8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$1.44 ฿48.46

-36.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

$1.33 ฿45.03

44.36%

Eggs

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$2.28 ฿77.1

-7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 SAR 22.14

$16.45 ฿555

-64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 SAR 29.64

$2.78 ฿93.9

184.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 SAR 47.44

$9.31 ฿314

35.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$2.35 ฿79.4

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$0.97 ฿32.79

76.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$1.60 ฿53.9

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 SAR 2.52

$1.50 ฿50.6

-55.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$1.28 ฿43.11

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 SAR 4.26

$1.10 ฿37.18

2.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 SAR 3.58

$0.71 ฿23.82

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.49 ฿16.36

12.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.26 SAR 23.48

$4.14 ฿140

51.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$0.87 ฿29.30

25.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 SAR 137

$54.1 ฿1,825

-32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

$1.16 ฿39.04

112.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.53 ฿17.80

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.70

$2.42 ฿81.7

447.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.45 ฿48.88

-57.93%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

38.03%

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

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-24.55%

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

$104 SAR 388

$62.2 ฿2,098

66.50%

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

$32.15 SAR 121

$12.17 ฿411

164.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 SAR 222

$20.12 ฿679

194.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 SAR 298

$37.31 ฿1,259

112.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 SAR 80.2

$3.77 ฿127

467.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 SAR 49.03

$6.49 ฿219

101.39%

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

$264 SAR 992

$736 ฿24.8K

-64.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-46.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.16 SAR 121

$53.4 ฿1,801

-39.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 SAR 79.2

$24.64 ฿831

-14.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 SAR 358

$91.5 ฿3,087

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 SAR 340

$71.9 ฿2,427

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 SAR 2,199

$482 ฿16.3K

21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,402

$309 ฿10.4K

20.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 SAR 3,029

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-19.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SAR 2,171

$633 ฿21.4K

-8.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-60.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$796 SAR 2,987

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,257 SAR 8,471

$590 ฿19.9K

282.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qatif

$374 33.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 17.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$195 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 51.5% $100

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$185 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 26.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 0.8% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$106 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 52.4% $55

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 12.4% $11

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 33.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Qatif 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 Qatif are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Qatif versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Qatif vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Qatif wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

04:18 4:18 AM

4 h ahead of Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 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 SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qatif Chiang Mai 5,070 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Qatif
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

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

Qatif costs about 18% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Qatif 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $586 in Qatif.

Kindergarten costs $264 per month in Qatif and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Qatif – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,102 in Qatif and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,102 in Qatif. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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