Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,149 in Sur, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Sur despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,149

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,149 per month in Sur vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sur $1,149
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,653 per month in Sur vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sur $1,653
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,156 per month in Sur vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sur $2,156
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sur costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sur and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sur 16% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 OMR 1.49

$2.24 ฿75.7

73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.96 OMR 9.99

$19.00 ฿642

36.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.63 OMR 2.94

$5.55 ฿188

37.48%

Cappuccino

$5.05 OMR 1.94

$1.67 ฿56.6

202.40%

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

$0.73 OMR 0.28

$0.64 ฿21.56

14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.31 ฿10.32

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.80 OMR 4.93

$2.36 ฿79.6

442.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$3.66 ฿124

249.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.95 ฿65.8

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 OMR 0.48

$1.44 ฿48.51

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 OMR 0.66

$1.33 ฿45.07

30.08%

Eggs

$1.95 OMR 0.75

$2.28 ฿77.1

-14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 OMR 2.77

$16.45 ฿556

-56.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 OMR 2.62

$2.78 ฿94.0

144.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 OMR 3.46

$9.31 ฿314

-3.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 OMR 0.91

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$0.97 ฿32.82

31.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$1.60 ฿53.9

-33.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$1.50 ฿50.7

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$1.28 ฿43.15

-40.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$1.10 ฿37.22

-50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 OMR 0.60

$0.71 ฿23.84

118.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 OMR 0.21

$0.49 ฿16.38

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 OMR 2.45

$4.14 ฿140

54.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 OMR 6.11

$17.52 ฿592

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.10 OMR 2.35

$1.61 ฿54.5

278.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.30 OMR 3.96

$2.78 ฿94.0

270.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

$1.16 ฿39.08

186.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 OMR 1.01

$0.53 ฿17.82

392.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$2.42 ฿81.8

219.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.45 ฿48.93

-63.45%

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

$24.7K OMR 9,491

$21.1K ฿711.2K

17.06%

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

$20.7K OMR 7,965

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-23.21%

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

$77.7 OMR 29.90

$62.2 ฿2,100

24.93%

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

$23.09 OMR 8.89

$12.17 ฿411

89.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 OMR 26.85

$20.12 ฿680

246.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.3 OMR 33.21

$37.31 ฿1,260

131.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 OMR 3.95

$6.49 ฿219

57.94%

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

$502 OMR 193

$736 ฿24.9K

-31.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,458 OMR 2,486

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-56.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 OMR 21.89

$53.4 ฿1,802

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 OMR 16.97

$24.64 ฿832

78.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 OMR 34.23

$91.5 ฿3,089

-2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 OMR 34.01

$71.9 ฿2,429

22.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 OMR 99.0

$482 ฿16.3K

-46.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 OMR 104

$309 ฿10.4K

-12.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 OMR 180

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-53.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 OMR 148

$633 ฿21.4K

-39.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$583 OMR 224

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-75.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 OMR 198

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-67.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,660 OMR 1,024

$590 ฿19.9K

350.98%

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 Sur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sur

$271 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 14.2% $38

Groceries & Markets

Sur

$252 21.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 7% $18

Eating Out

Sur

$208 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 62.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sur

$170 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 44.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sur

$125 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sur

$107 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 52.9% $56

Getting Around

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 275% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Sur 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 Sur are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Sur versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sur

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

3 h ahead of Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.428 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sur Chiang Mai 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sur
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

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

Sur costs about 23% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,724 per month in Sur 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 Sur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Sur and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Sur, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,149 in Sur 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 $1,149 in Sur. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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