Cost of Living Comparison Between Wadi As Sir and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Wadi As Sir and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $764 per month in Wadi As Sir vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,235 per month in Wadi As Sir vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,705 per month in Wadi As Sir vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Wadi As Sir is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Wadi As Sir and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Wadi As Sir 43% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.24 JOD 5.12

$1.96 ฿65.9

269.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.74 JOD 34.50

$18.35 ฿617

165.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 JOD 4.98

$7.48 ฿252

-5.88%

Cappuccino

$4.18 JOD 2.96

$2.02 ฿67.8

106.93%

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

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$0.85 ฿28.52

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 JOD 0.26

$0.36 ฿11.97

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 JOD 3.88

$2.14 ฿71.9

156.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 JOD 5.11

$3.59 ฿121

101.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 JOD 1.03

$1.65 ฿55.5

-11.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 JOD 0.36

$1.57 ฿52.7

-67.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JOD 1.14

$1.19 ฿40.05

36.13%

Eggs

$2.57 JOD 1.82

$1.94 ฿65.1

32.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 JOD 4.64

$16.19 ฿545

-59.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.70 JOD 4.74

$2.99 ฿101

124.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 JOD 8.02

$10.94 ฿368

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 JOD 1.44

$2.71 ฿91.2

-25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 JOD 1.27

$1.17 ฿39.27

52.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 JOD 1.01

$1.69 ฿56.8

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 JOD 0.54

$1.60 ฿54.0

-51.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 JOD 0.65

$1.38 ฿46.56

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 JOD 0.50

$1.20 ฿40.47

-41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 JOD 0.43

$0.67 ฿22.51

-10.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 JOD 0.42

$0.56 ฿18.74

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.54 JOD 2.51

$4.64 ฿156

-23.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.04 JOD 14.90

$17.62 ฿593

19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 JOD 3.33

$1.86 ฿62.6

153.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 JOD 3.86

$3.30 ฿111

65.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 JOD 0.53

$1.36 ฿45.92

-45.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 JOD 0.97

$1.34 ฿45.00

2.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 JOD 4.87

$8.21 ฿276

-16.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 JOD 1.04

$1.22 ฿41.20

19.67%

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

$27.0K JOD 19.1K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

26.48%

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

$32.5K JOD 23.0K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

44.05%

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

$103 JOD 73.2

$70.7 ฿2,378

46.33%

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

$16.66 JOD 11.80

$14.04 ฿472

18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.59 JOD 22.36

$17.49 ฿589

80.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.77 JOD 14.70

$42.15 ฿1,418

-50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 JOD 7.91

$5.92 ฿199

88.85%

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

$272 JOD 192

$309 ฿10.4K

-11.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,378 JOD 3,806

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-63.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 JOD 44.43

$55.8 ฿1,876

12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 JOD 40.73

$26.11 ฿879

120.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 JOD 82.2

$83.0 ฿2,793

39.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 JOD 57.7

$70.5 ฿2,371

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 JOD 199

$432 ฿14.5K

-35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 JOD 442

$822 ฿27.7K

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.27

45.40%

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

Last update for Wadi As Sir: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Wadi As Sir 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Wadi As Sir versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Wadi As Sir vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Wadi As Sir, 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 $1,146 per month in Wadi As Sir 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 Wadi As Sir, 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 $49.00 in Wadi As Sir and $18.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $764 in Wadi As Sir and $861 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Wadi As Sir costs $764 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 Wadi As Sir. 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.