Dubai vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Dubai (United Arab Emirates) · Overall index 63.9 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 59% cheaper than Dubai.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 79% cheaper than in Dubai.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 57% cheaper than in Dubai.
| Item | Dubai | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -79% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,221 | $477 | -79% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,463 | $325 | -78% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $4,336 | $805 | -81% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,566 | $542 | -79% |
| Groceries | -53% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.13 | $0.53 | -53% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.78 | $1.44 | -48% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.62 | $1.68 | -54% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.68 | $1.78 | -52% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10.8 | $4.79 | -56% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.36 | $4.84 | -48% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.7 | $6.72 | -57% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.58 | $2.14 | -53% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.72 | $0.79 | -54% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.39 | $1.82 | -46% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.73 | $2.21 | -53% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.21 | $1.07 | -52% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.29 | $0.94 | -59% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.04 | $0.93 | -54% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.92 | $0.87 | -55% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $10.8 | $5.67 | -47% |
| Transport | -57% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.85 | $0.71 | -62% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $81.7 | $38.2 | -53% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.87 | $1.11 | -61% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.22 | $0.56 | -54% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.64 | $0.29 | -55% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $18,258 | $8,510 | -53% |
| Dining out | -55% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.1 | $6.98 | -61% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $77.6 | $40 | -48% |
| Fast food combo meal | $7.93 | $3.87 | -51% |
| Cappuccino | $3.98 | $1.62 | -59% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.97 | $0.9 | -54% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.96 | $2.41 | -51% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $5.5 | $2.63 | -52% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.46 | $0.64 | -56% |
| Telecom | -49% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $55 | $24.9 | -55% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $52.5 | $26.6 | -49% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.28 | $0.15 | -46% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $10.8 | $6.1 | -44% |
| Utilities & household | -51% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $125 | $67.6 | -46% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.08 | -58% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.78 | $1.58 | -58% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.25 | $0.56 | -55% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $16.1 | $8.03 | -50% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $61 | $32.5 | -47% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $11.2 | $6.4 | -43% |
| Men's haircut | $22.2 | $10.6 | -52% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $19.7 | $9.66 | -51% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,665 | $810 | -51% |
3,589 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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