Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $959 in Rabigh, rent and utilities included – about $290 less a year. The total is higher in Rabigh despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
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Rabigh Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$959

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $959 per month in Rabigh vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rabigh $959
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,473 per month in Rabigh vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rabigh $1,473
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Rabigh vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Rabigh $1,987
Chiang Mai $1,999

Rabigh and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Rabigh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Rabigh 29% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 SAR 17.32

$2.13 ฿71.7

116.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.72 SAR 100

$18.62 ฿625

43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 SAR 26.19

$5.60 ฿188

24.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Cappuccino

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$1.66 ฿55.9

61.45%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.50

$0.65 ฿21.73

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.30 ฿10.24

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$2.02 ฿67.7

-8.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.80

$1.41 ฿47.29

-28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$1.39 ฿46.75

55.40%

Eggs

$2.66 SAR 9.97

$2.37 ฿79.5

12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.07 SAR 22.79

$16.52 ฿555

-63.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.92 SAR 44.73

$2.67 ฿89.7

346.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 SAR 47.90

$9.02 ฿303

41.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

$2.40 ฿80.6

-13.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.04 ฿34.98

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.49

$1.66 ฿55.7

4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$1.56 ฿52.4

-5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$1.24 ฿41.57

6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.09 ฿36.50

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.76 ฿25.59

43.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 SAR 2.71

$0.51 ฿17.27

41.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.22

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$4.12 ฿138

93.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$0.93 ฿31.39

11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.96 SAR 139

$52.9 ฿1,777

-30.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 SAR 9.24

$1.18 ฿39.52

108.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

$0.17 ฿5.76

1488.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.59 SAR 51.0

$1.81 ฿60.9

650.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.47 ฿49.47

-56.46%

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

$25.9K SAR 97.0K

$21.0K ฿705.8K

23.03%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-17.52%

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

$67.6 SAR 254

$62.6 ฿2,101

8.12%

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

$35.15 SAR 132

$11.60 ฿390

203.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 SAR 234

$20.30 ฿682

206.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 SAR 300

$37.88 ฿1,272

111.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$15.44 SAR 58.0

$6.51 ฿219

137.17%

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

$420 SAR 1,575

$727 ฿24.4K

-42.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,799 SAR 29.3K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-52.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.60 SAR 51.0

$53.5 ฿1,798

-74.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 SAR 209

$24.80 ฿833

124.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.18 SAR 151

$90.4 ฿3,036

-55.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 SAR 198

$72.0 ฿2,418

-26.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 SAR 1,265

$481 ฿16.2K

-29.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 SAR 903

$310 ฿10.4K

-22.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,296

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-42.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 SAR 1,619

$659 ฿22.1K

-34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 SAR 7,443

$2,418 ฿81.2K

-17.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,363 SAR 5,117

$1,609 ฿54.0K

-15.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

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 Rabigh: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rabigh

$241 25.1%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 28.8% $69

Groceries & Markets

Rabigh

$218 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 8.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rabigh

$165 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 42.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Rabigh

$111 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 54.1% $60

Eating Out

Rabigh

$94 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 18.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Rabigh

$73 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 48.5% $35

Getting Around

Rabigh

$57 6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 2.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Rabigh 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Rabigh versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Rabigh vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Rabigh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

4 h ahead of Rabigh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,072

127,240

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rabigh Chiang Mai 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rabigh
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,438 per month in Rabigh 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 Rabigh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Rabigh and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Rabigh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $959 in Rabigh and $935 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 $935 in Chiang Mai to $959 in Rabigh. 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.