Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm As-summaq and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm As-summaq and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $733 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $932 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,270 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $1,399 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,806 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $1,866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Umm As-summaq is about 21% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Umm As-summaq and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Umm As-summaq 46% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.17 JOD 5.07

$2.08 ฿69.3

244.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 JOD 47.18

$19.61 ฿653

239.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 JOD 5.05

$5.67 ฿189

25.93%

Cappuccino

$2.74 JOD 1.94

$1.81 ฿60.1

51.38%

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

$0.60 JOD 0.43

$0.77 ฿25.56

-22.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 JOD 0.42

$0.35 ฿11.49

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 JOD 4.87

$2.21 ฿73.7

211.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.61 JOD 6.09

$3.79 ฿126

127.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$2.05 ฿68.1

-29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 JOD 0.48

$1.51 ฿50.4

-55.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.40 ฿46.54

-0.71%

Eggs

$2.24 JOD 1.58

$2.26 ฿75.1

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 JOD 6.47

$16.19 ฿539

-43.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 JOD 1.95

$2.90 ฿96.4

-4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 JOD 9.12

$9.42 ฿313

36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 JOD 1.71

$2.68 ฿89.1

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 JOD 1.42

$1.09 ฿36.25

83.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 JOD 1.33

$1.62 ฿53.8

16.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 JOD 0.61

$1.46 ฿48.58

-41.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 JOD 0.66

$1.28 ฿42.51

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 JOD 0.59

$1.06 ฿35.19

-21.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 JOD 0.46

$0.72 ฿23.86

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$0.53 ฿17.50

15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 JOD 2.03

$4.23 ฿141

-32.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 JOD 11.88

$18.29 ฿609

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.15 JOD 2.93

$1.63 ฿54.2

154.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 JOD 2.95

$2.90 ฿96.5

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,789

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$1.17 ฿39.02

-47.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 JOD 1.02

$0.58 ฿19.24

146.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 JOD 5.01

$2.39 ฿79.4

196.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 JOD 1.14

$1.45 ฿48.25

11.03%

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

$35.3K JOD 25.0K

$21.0K ฿699.1K

67.84%

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

$34.2K JOD 24.2K

$26.4K ฿879.1K

29.57%

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

$53.5 JOD 37.88

$63.7 ฿2,118

-15.92%

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

$15.44 JOD 10.92

$12.89 ฿429

19.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.25 JOD 22.83

$20.52 ฿683

57.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 JOD 39.94

$39.02 ฿1,298

44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.88 JOD 35.30

$3.92 ฿130

1172.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 JOD 8.13

$6.58 ฿219

74.62%

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

$353 JOD 250

$784 ฿26.1K

-55.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,679 JOD 4,019

$14.7K ฿488.2K

-61.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 JOD 40.44

$55.1 ฿1,834

3.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 JOD 45.04

$24.74 ฿823

157.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 JOD 90.3

$94.1 ฿3,132

35.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 JOD 61.8

$74.0 ฿2,461

17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,588

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 JOD 557

$891 ฿29.7K

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 JOD 1,208

$1,974 ฿65.7K

-13.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.57

22.26%

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

Last update for Umm As-summaq: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Umm As-summaq versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Umm As-summaq vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Umm As-summaq wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Umm As-summaq vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Umm As-summaq, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,100 per month in Umm As-summaq and $1,398 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Umm As-summaq and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Umm As-summaq, where all-in costs run around $733, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Umm As-summaq 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. Umm As-summaq costs $733 versus $932 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 Umm As-summaq. 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.