Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $665 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$665

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $665 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $665
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,028 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,028
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,391 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,391
Chiang Mai $1,903

Sulaymaniyah is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sulaymaniyah and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sulaymaniyah 51% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 IQD 6,572

$2.29 ฿76.5

89.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$19.64 ฿656

-0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 IQD 8,957

$5.61 ฿188

5.70%

Cappuccino

$2.35 IQD 3,553

$1.66 ฿55.6

41.57%

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

$0.39 IQD 589

$0.70 ฿23.40

-44.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 IQD 333

$0.31 ฿10.24

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 IQD 4,917

$2.41 ฿80.4

34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 IQD 3,027

$3.71 ฿124

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 IQD 1,688

$1.95 ฿65.3

-42.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,250

$1.41 ฿47.03

-41.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 IQD 2,524

$1.31 ฿43.62

27.48%

Eggs

$1.48 IQD 2,238

$2.18 ฿72.9

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 IQD 6,842

$16.65 ฿556

-72.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 IQD 5,404

$2.76 ฿92.2

29.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

$9.11 ฿304

43.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 IQD 1,663

$2.39 ฿80.0

-53.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 IQD 1,686

$1.03 ฿34.26

8.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,583

$1.63 ฿54.4

-35.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 897

$1.50 ฿50.0

-60.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 IQD 690

$1.29 ฿43.13

-64.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 942

$1.11 ฿37.03

-44.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 965

$0.72 ฿24.08

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 IQD 646

$0.53 ฿17.59

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 IQD 3,077

$4.31 ฿144

-52.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 IQD 14.5K

$17.95 ฿600

-46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,537

$1.58 ฿52.9

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 IQD 1,925

$2.84 ฿95.0

-55.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 IQD 780

$0.86 ฿28.86

-39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.41 IQD 29.3K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-63.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 IQD 3,060

$1.21 ฿40.29

67.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 IQD 3,041

$0.57 ฿18.99

252.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 IQD 6,820

$2.35 ฿78.6

91.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 854

$1.44 ฿47.96

-60.42%

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

$17.9K IQD 27.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-13.46%

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

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-38.76%

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

$86.4 IQD 130.6K

$62.3 ฿2,083

38.68%

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

$9.77 IQD 14.8K

$12.11 ฿405

-19.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 IQD 36.5K

$19.94 ฿666

21.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 IQD 50.5K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 IQD 26.1K

$3.78 ฿126

356.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

$6.50 ฿217

3.54%

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

$152 IQD 229.3K

$793 ฿26.5K

-80.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,479 IQD 3.7M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-83.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.44 IQD 24.8K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-69.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.23 IQD 33.6K

$24.62 ฿823

-9.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.34 IQD 56.4K

$90.9 ฿3,036

-58.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.57 IQD 50.7K

$71.1 ฿2,378

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 IQD 278.9K

$455 ฿15.2K

-59.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 IQD 225.6K

$298 ฿9,954

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 IQD 638.5K

$908 ฿30.4K

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 IQD 456.7K

$554 ฿18.5K

-45.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$707 IQD 1.1M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-63.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$536 IQD 810.5K

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-62.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$488 IQD 737.3K

$591 ฿19.7K

-17.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

5.57

3.59%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$162 24.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 44.9% $73

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$149 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 99.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$120 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 21.6% $26

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$104 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 24.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$49 7.4%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 119% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$47 7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.8% $3.2

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$34 5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 81.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $185 in Sulaymaniyah 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 21% 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 $20.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $235 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

06:06 6:06 AM

4 h ahead of Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

127,240

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Chiang Mai 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Sulaymaniyah, 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 $998 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $152 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $665, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sulaymaniyah costs $665 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Sulaymaniyah. 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.