Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabuk and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,234 in Tabuk, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
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Tabuk Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,234

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,234 per month in Tabuk vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tabuk $1,234
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Tabuk vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tabuk $1,834
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,434 per month in Tabuk vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tabuk $2,434
Chiang Mai $1,914

Tabuk costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Tabuk and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tabuk 9% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 SAR 28.66

$2.26 ฿75.4

238.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.43 SAR 118

$19.18 ฿641

63.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 SAR 29.22

$5.59 ฿187

39.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

Cappuccino

$3.21 SAR 12.05

$1.72 ฿57.6

86.63%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$0.64 ฿21.54

21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.33 ฿11.18

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

$2.05 ฿68.6

-1.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$1.40 ฿46.70

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$1.28 ฿42.89

114.06%

Eggs

$2.87 SAR 10.77

$2.25 ฿75.3

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 SAR 46.97

$16.94 ฿566

-26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 SAR 25.45

$2.74 ฿91.6

147.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 SAR 47.46

$9.36 ฿313

35.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

$2.40 ฿80.3

-17.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.25

$1.01 ฿33.92

65.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.61 ฿53.9

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

$1.52 ฿50.7

45.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.28 ฿42.90

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$1.11 ฿37.22

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$0.72 ฿24.09

163.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$0.52 ฿17.54

17.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 SAR 6.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 SAR 24.65

$4.33 ฿145

51.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.85 ฿28.31

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.33 SAR 136

$53.9 ฿1,801

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.76

$1.17 ฿39.18

122.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.81

$0.57 ฿19.00

219.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$2.37 ฿79.2

466.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 SAR 2.46

$1.45 ฿48.32

-54.48%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

114.38%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-21.49%

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

$102 SAR 385

$62.3 ฿2,083

64.40%

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

$37.35 SAR 140

$12.27 ฿410

204.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$19.97 ฿668

285.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.2 SAR 308

$37.91 ฿1,267

116.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 SAR 50.8

$6.71 ฿224

101.64%

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

$424 SAR 1,592

$797 ฿26.6K

-46.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,651 SAR 32.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-41.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.90 SAR 157

$53.3 ฿1,780

-21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 SAR 204

$25.05 ฿837

117.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 SAR 357

$91.6 ฿3,062

3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$73.5 ฿2,455

18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 SAR 1,286

$464 ฿15.5K

-26.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,427

$305 ฿10.2K

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 SAR 2,396

$915 ฿30.6K

-30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,308

$552 ฿18.5K

11.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 SAR 8,848

$1,912 ฿63.9K

23.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 SAR 5,100

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 SAR 6,423

$595 ฿19.9K

187.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Tabuk: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tabuk

$380 30.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 19.9% $76

Groceries & Markets

Tabuk

$223 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 6.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tabuk

$217 17.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 56.4% $122

Eating Out

Tabuk

$127 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 37.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Tabuk

$125 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 12.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Tabuk

$109 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 53% $58

Getting Around

Tabuk

$52 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 17.4% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Tabuk versus $464 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 188% higher in Tabuk, 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 $31.00 in Tabuk versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $223 in Tabuk vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Tabuk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

06:24 6:24 AM

4 h ahead of Tabuk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

512,629

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 = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tabuk Chiang Mai 6,380 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tabuk
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

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

Tabuk costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,851 per month in Tabuk and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $424 per month in Tabuk and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Tabuk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Tabuk at $1,234. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tabuk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,234 in Tabuk. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tabuk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.