Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taif and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,239 in Taif, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Taif
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Taif Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,239

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,239 per month in Taif vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taif $1,239
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,827 per month in Taif vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taif $1,827
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,416 per month in Taif vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Taif $2,416
Chiang Mai $1,914

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

Both Taif and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Taif 8% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 SAR 19.82

$2.26 ฿75.4

133.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.38 SAR 140

$19.18 ฿641

94.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 SAR 27.41

$5.59 ฿187

30.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Cappuccino

$2.23 SAR 8.37

$1.72 ฿57.6

29.65%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.64 ฿21.54

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.64

$0.33 ฿11.18

-48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$2.05 ฿68.6

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$1.40 ฿46.70

-81.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.80

$1.28 ฿42.89

82.81%

Eggs

$2.74 SAR 10.26

$2.25 ฿75.3

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 SAR 22.40

$16.94 ฿566

-64.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 SAR 26.68

$2.74 ฿91.6

159.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 SAR 35.50

$9.36 ฿313

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.40 ฿80.3

-0.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.01 ฿33.92

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

$1.61 ฿53.9

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.52 ฿50.7

20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.28 ฿42.90

2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.11 ฿37.22

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 SAR 3.54

$0.72 ฿24.09

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$0.52 ฿17.54

57.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.20 SAR 11.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SAR 27.63

$4.33 ฿145

69.98%

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)

$1.07 SAR 4.03

$0.85 ฿28.31

25.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.19 SAR 136

$53.9 ฿1,801

-32.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.17 ฿39.18

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SAR 7.68

$0.57 ฿19.00

259.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.42 SAR 35.34

$2.37 ฿79.2

297.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.45 ฿48.32

-58.62%

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

$44.6K SAR 167.3K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

117.76%

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)

$138 SAR 519

$62.3 ฿2,083

121.71%

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

$28.04 SAR 105

$12.27 ฿410

128.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 SAR 253

$19.97 ฿668

237.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$145 SAR 543

$37.91 ฿1,267

281.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 SAR 49.64

$3.76 ฿126

251.86%

Cinema Ticket

$19.68 SAR 73.9

$6.71 ฿224

193.29%

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

$185 SAR 693

$797 ฿26.6K

-76.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,342 SAR 12.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-77.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.10 SAR 158

$53.3 ฿1,780

-20.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 SAR 208

$25.05 ฿837

120.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 SAR 358

$91.6 ฿3,062

4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 SAR 324

$73.5 ฿2,455

17.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SAR 2,187

$464 ฿15.5K

25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 SAR 1,380

$305 ฿10.2K

20.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SAR 3,012

$915 ฿30.6K

-12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 SAR 2,124

$552 ฿18.5K

2.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 SAR 8,986

$1,912 ฿63.9K

25.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 SAR 5,132

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-4.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,567 SAR 5,880

$595 ฿19.9K

163.28%

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 Taif: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taif

$368 29.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 17.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taif

$234 18.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 59.5% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Taif

$184 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 72.1% $133

Groceries & Markets

Taif

$181 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 31.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Taif

$126 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 12.9% $16

Eating Out

Taif

$94 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Taif

$52 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 17.9% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $583 in Taif 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 163% higher in Taif, 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 $37.00 in Taif versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Taif vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Taif wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Taif

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:25 2:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

4 h ahead of Taif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,970

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 →

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Between locations

Taif Chiang Mai 6,090 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Taif
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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Taif 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 $185 per month in Taif 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 31% cheaper in Taif – 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 Taif at $1,239. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taif it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,239 in Taif. 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, Taif makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.