Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohag and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sohag: $370 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sohag, Egypt
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sohag
🇪🇬 Egypt
$370
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $370 per month in Sohag vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sohag $370
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $610 per month in Sohag vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sohag $610
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $850 per month in Sohag vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sohag $850
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Sohag is about 60% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sohag and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sohag 73% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.51 E£197
$2.24 ฿75.7
56.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.96 E£895
$19.00 ฿642
-16.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.37 E£245
$5.55 ฿188
-21.26%
Cappuccino
$1.00 E£55.9
$1.67 ฿56.6
-40.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 E£16.99
$0.64 ฿21.56
-53.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 E£8.96
$0.31 ฿10.32
-48.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 E£72.4
$2.36 ฿79.6
-45.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 E£147
$3.66 ฿124
-28.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 E£45.14
$1.95 ฿65.8
-58.46%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 E£34.80
$1.44 ฿48.51
-56.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.51 E£28.32
$1.33 ฿45.07
-61.65%
Eggs
$1.25 E£69.8
$2.28 ฿77.1
-45.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.14 E£176
$16.45 ฿556
-80.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.87 E£217
$2.78 ฿94.0
39.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.78 E£436
$9.31 ฿314
-16.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.32 E£74.1
$2.35 ฿79.5
-43.83%
Banana (1kg)
$0.60 E£33.78
$0.97 ฿32.82
-38.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.42 E£23.63
$1.60 ฿53.9
-73.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.30 E£16.55
$1.50 ฿50.7
-80.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.32 E£18.07
$1.28 ฿43.15
-75.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.29 E£16.02
$1.10 ฿37.22
-73.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.21 E£11.57
$0.71 ฿23.84
-70.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.17 E£9.61
$0.49 ฿16.38
-65.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.80 E£101
$4.14 ฿140
-56.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.22 E£293
$17.52 ฿592
-70.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 E£71.0
$1.61 ฿54.5
-21.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 E£119
$2.78 ฿94.0
-23.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.19 E£10.58
$0.87 ฿29.33
-78.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.1 ฿1,827
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 E£19.32
$1.16 ฿39.08
-70.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 E£11.30
$0.53 ฿17.82
-62.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 E£60.1
$2.42 ฿81.8
-55.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.40 E£22.20
$1.45 ฿48.93
-72.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K E£1.6M
$21.1K ฿711.2K
38.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K E£1.3M
$26.9K ฿909.8K
-12.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$14.08 E£789
$62.2 ฿2,100
-77.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.47 E£363
$12.17 ฿411
-46.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.29 E£689
$20.12 ฿680
-38.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.02 E£842
$37.31 ฿1,260
-59.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.77 ฿127
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.69 E£151
$6.49 ฿219
-58.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$72.7 E£4,077
$736 ฿24.9K
-90.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,965 E£110.2K
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-86.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.16 E£906
$53.4 ฿1,802
-69.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.50 E£2,383
$24.64 ฿832
72.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 E£5,927
$91.5 ฿3,089
15.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.24 E£2,593
$71.9 ฿2,429
-35.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$125 E£7,009
$482 ฿16.3K
-74.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$40.65 E£2,279
$309 ฿10.4K
-86.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$106 E£5,931
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-89.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$83.6 E£4,686
$633 ฿21.4K
-86.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$709 E£39.8K
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-69.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$326 E£18.3K
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-79.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sohag
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$123 E£6,901
$590 ฿19.9K
-79.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
5.57
191.02%

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

Last update for Sohag: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sohag
$112
Chiang Mai
$234 109% $122
Clothing & Footwear
Sohag
$95
Chiang Mai
$109 14.6% $14
Eating Out
Sohag
$67
Chiang Mai
$78 16.4% $11
Accommodation & Living
Sohag
$41
Chiang Mai
$309 660% $268
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sohag
$33
Chiang Mai
$94 188% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Sohag
$20
Chiang Mai
$50 147% $30
Getting Around
Sohag
$2.1 *
Chiang Mai
$61 2808% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $125 in Sohag 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 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Sohag versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $234 – making Sohag the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Sohag
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
01:56 1:56 AM
05:56 5:56 AM
4 h ahead of Sohag
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
189,695
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 56.07 EGP (100 EGP = 1.78 USD). 1 EUR = 62.42 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sohag Chiang Mai 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sohag
  • 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
Sohag vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sohag or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 153% more than Sohag, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sohag and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $554 per month in Sohag and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sohag or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sohag, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $125 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do dining costs compare in Sohag and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Sohag and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Sohag or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 109% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Sohag or in Chiang Mai?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $370 in Sohag and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Sohag – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Sohag or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Sohag. 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.

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