Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sousse and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $779 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$779
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Sousse vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sousse $779
  • Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in Sousse vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sousse $1,261
  • Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,743 per month in Sousse vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sousse $1,743
  • Chiang Mai $1,903

Sousse is about 16% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sousse and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sousse 43% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.90 TND 14.67
$2.29 ฿76.5
113.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.60 TND 70.7
$19.64 ฿656
20.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.75 TND 20.22
$5.61 ฿188
20.32%
Cappuccino
$1.10 TND 3.29
$1.66 ฿55.6
-33.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 TND 2.19
$0.70 ฿23.40
4.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 TND 1.12
$0.31 ฿10.24
22.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 TND 5.14
$2.41 ฿80.4
-28.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 TND 4.98
$3.71 ฿124
-55.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.44 TND 1.32
$1.95 ฿65.3
-77.44%
White Bread (500g)
$0.13 TND 0.40
$1.41 ฿47.03
-90.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 TND 3.71
$1.31 ฿43.62
-5.34%
Eggs
$1.61 TND 4.82
$2.18 ฿72.9
-26.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.70 TND 41.05
$16.65 ฿556
-17.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 TND 17.37
$2.76 ฿92.2
110.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 TND 41.87
$9.11 ฿304
53.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 TND 6.05
$2.39 ฿80.0
-15.48%
Banana (1kg)
$3.49 TND 10.46
$1.03 ฿34.26
238.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 TND 3.07
$1.63 ฿54.4
-37.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.06
$1.50 ฿50.0
-54.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 TND 2.62
$1.29 ฿43.13
-32.56%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.05
$1.11 ฿37.03
-37.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 TND 1.30
$0.72 ฿24.08
-40.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 TND 0.97
$0.53 ฿17.59
-37.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.76 TND 11.25
$4.31 ฿144
-12.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.98 TND 17.90
$17.95 ฿600
-66.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 TND 3.08
$1.58 ฿52.9
-34.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$2.84 ฿95.0
-60.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$0.86 ฿28.86
-61.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.88 TND 29.60
$53.3 ฿1,780
-81.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 TND 1.03
$1.21 ฿40.29
-71.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 TND 2.08
$0.57 ฿18.99
21.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 TND 11.98
$2.35 ฿78.6
70.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 TND 2.43
$1.44 ฿47.96
-43.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K TND 120.6K
$20.7K ฿692.8K
94.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K TND 110.1K
$26.8K ฿895.7K
37.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.1 TND 225
$62.3 ฿2,083
20.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.68 TND 40.97
$12.11 ฿405
12.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.58 TND 58.6
$19.94 ฿666
-1.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.10 TND 84.2
$37.07 ฿1,239
-24.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.30 TND 78.8
$3.78 ฿126
595.77%
Cinema Ticket
$6.54 TND 19.59
$6.50 ฿217
0.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.6 TND 277
$793 ฿26.5K
-88.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,228 TND 9,667
$14.8K ฿494.9K
-78.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 TND 158
$53.7 ฿1,796
-2.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.9 TND 212
$24.62 ฿823
187.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 TND 447
$90.9 ฿3,036
64.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 TND 298
$71.1 ฿2,378
39.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$241 TND 721
$455 ฿15.2K
-47.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$161 TND 483
$298 ฿9,954
-45.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$512 TND 1,533
$908 ฿30.4K
-43.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 TND 1,037
$554 ฿18.5K
-37.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$978 TND 2,929
$1,931 ฿64.5K
-49.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$621 TND 1,859
$1,445 ฿48.3K
-57.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sousse
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$380 TND 1,139
$591 ฿19.7K
-35.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.4
5.57
104.67%

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

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sousse
$197
Chiang Mai
$235 19.7% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
$167
Chiang Mai
$108 35.4% $59
Accommodation & Living
Sousse
$161
Chiang Mai
$298 84.9% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
$108
Chiang Mai
$94 12.9% $14
Eating Out
Sousse
$89
Chiang Mai
$79 11.7% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
$41
Chiang Mai
$50 21.5% $8.9
Getting Around
Sousse
$15
Chiang Mai
$61 305% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Sousse versus $455 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 55% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $24.00 in Sousse versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Sousse vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Sousse wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sousse
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
15:23 3:23 PM
21:23 9:23 PM
6 h ahead of Sousse
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
221,530
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sousse Chiang Mai 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sousse
  • 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
Sousse vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sousse or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 19% more than Sousse, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 Sousse and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,168 per month in Sousse and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sousse or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sousse, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Sousse and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $92.6 per month in Sousse and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Sousse or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Sousse or in Chiang Mai?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sousse, where all-in costs run around $779, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sousse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Sousse or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sousse costs $779 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Sousse compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Sousse or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Sousse. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, 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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