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 $717 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,387 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,056 per month in Umm As-summaq vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Umm As-summaq is about 17% 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 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 JOD 4.58

$1.96 ฿65.9

230.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.79 JOD 35.24

$18.35 ฿617

171.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 JOD 3.59

$7.48 ฿252

-32.22%

Cappuccino

$4.00 JOD 2.83

$2.02 ฿67.8

98.02%

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

$0.48 JOD 0.34

$0.85 ฿28.52

-43.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 JOD 0.26

$0.36 ฿11.97

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 JOD 4.08

$2.14 ฿71.9

169.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 JOD 5.09

$3.59 ฿121

100.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 JOD 0.92

$1.65 ฿55.5

-21.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 JOD 0.26

$1.57 ฿52.7

-77.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.98

$1.19 ฿40.05

16.81%

Eggs

$2.57 JOD 1.82

$1.94 ฿65.1

32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.87 JOD 2.03

$16.19 ฿545

-82.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 JOD 4.51

$2.99 ฿101

113.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 JOD 8.06

$10.94 ฿368

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 JOD 0.99

$2.71 ฿91.2

-48.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 JOD 0.49

$1.17 ฿39.27

-41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$1.69 ฿56.8

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$1.60 ฿54.0

-81.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 JOD 0.26

$1.38 ฿46.56

-73.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$1.20 ฿40.47

-75.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 JOD 0.43

$0.67 ฿22.51

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$0.56 ฿18.74

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 JOD 2.57

$4.64 ฿156

-21.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 JOD 11.92

$17.62 ฿593

-4.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 JOD 3.32

$1.86 ฿62.6

152.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 JOD 3.94

$3.30 ฿111

68.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 JOD 0.48

$0.88 ฿29.70

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 JOD 0.52

$1.36 ฿45.92

-46.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$1.34 ฿45.00

-78.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 JOD 5.01

$8.21 ฿276

-13.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 JOD 0.98

$1.22 ฿41.20

13.11%

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

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

27.69%

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

$32.4K JOD 23.0K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

44.02%

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

$104 JOD 73.7

$70.7 ฿2,378

47.32%

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

$17.12 JOD 12.11

$14.04 ฿472

21.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 JOD 22.67

$17.49 ฿589

83.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.97 JOD 29.00

$42.15 ฿1,418

-2.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.31 JOD 24.99

$6.88 ฿231

413.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 JOD 7.92

$5.92 ฿199

89.02%

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

$277 JOD 196

$309 ฿10.4K

-10.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,456 JOD 3,862

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-63.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 JOD 43.00

$55.8 ฿1,876

8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 JOD 40.58

$26.11 ฿879

119.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 JOD 79.5

$83.0 ฿2,793

35.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 JOD 57.5

$70.5 ฿2,371

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 JOD 266

$432 ฿14.5K

-12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 JOD 333

$822 ฿27.7K

-42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 JOD 254

$512 ฿17.2K

-29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,701 JOD 1,204

$1,915 ฿64.4K

-11.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 JOD 608

$579 ฿19.5K

48.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

33.40%

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

Last update for Umm As-summaq: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $376 in Umm As-summaq versus $432 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 48% higher in Umm As-summaq, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Umm As-summaq versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Umm As-summaq vs $243 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 20% 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 $1,076 per month in Umm As-summaq and $1,292 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Umm As-summaq and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $717, than in Chiang Mai at $861. 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 $717 versus $861 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.