Abu Dhabi vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) · Overall index 56.8 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 54% cheaper than Abu Dhabi.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 75% cheaper than in Abu Dhabi.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 51% cheaper than in Abu Dhabi.
| Item | Abu Dhabi | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -75% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,825 | $477 | -74% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,096 | $325 | -70% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,562 | $805 | -77% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,266 | $542 | -76% |
| Groceries | -48% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.99 | $0.53 | -46% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.88 | $1.44 | -50% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.33 | $1.68 | -50% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.51 | $1.78 | -49% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $9.5 | $4.79 | -50% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $8.9 | $4.84 | -46% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $13.9 | $6.72 | -52% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.68 | $2.14 | -42% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.56 | $0.79 | -49% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.88 | $1.82 | -37% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.18 | $2.21 | -47% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.26 | $1.07 | -53% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.08 | $0.94 | -55% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.77 | $0.93 | -47% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.82 | $0.87 | -52% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $9.73 | $5.67 | -42% |
| Transport | -51% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.46 | $0.71 | -51% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $71.8 | $38.2 | -47% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.36 | $1.11 | -53% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.19 | $0.56 | -53% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.56 | $0.29 | -48% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,060 | $8,510 | -55% |
| Dining out | -50% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $14.4 | $6.98 | -52% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $78.6 | $40 | -49% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.15 | $3.87 | -46% |
| Cappuccino | $3.65 | $1.62 | -56% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.61 | $0.9 | -44% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.18 | $2.41 | -53% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.04 | $2.63 | -48% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.3 | $0.64 | -51% |
| Telecom | -45% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $49.7 | $24.9 | -50% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $47.6 | $26.6 | -44% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.24 | $0.15 | -37% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $11.8 | $6.1 | -48% |
| Utilities & household | -47% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $134 | $67.6 | -50% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.14 | $0.08 | -43% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.11 | $1.58 | -49% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.99 | $0.56 | -43% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $15.5 | $8.03 | -48% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $60.3 | $32.5 | -46% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $12 | $6.4 | -47% |
| Men's haircut | $19.8 | $10.6 | -46% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $19.4 | $9.66 | -50% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,361 | $810 | -40% |
3,348 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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