Cost of Living Comparison Between Babahoyo and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Babahoyo and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Babahoyo versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,305 in Babahoyo versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,749 in Babahoyo versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Babahoyo costs roughly 1% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Babahoyo 36% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 $3.54

$1.98 ฿64.3

78.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.06 $25.06

$18.80 ฿612

33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 $6.84

$7.75 ฿252

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$2.52 $2.52

$1.92 ฿62.5

31.25%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$0.79 ฿25.79

15.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.36 ฿11.62

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.21 ฿72.1

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.66 ฿119

-6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.65 ฿53.8

-32.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.63 ฿53.2

-1.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.19 ฿38.86

31.93%

Eggs

$2.25 $2.25

$2.00 ฿65.1

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$15.98 ฿520

-63.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.03 ฿98.5

80.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$10.86 ฿354

-40.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.76 ฿90.0

-24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.18 ฿38.42

-11.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.64 ฿53.5

-35.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.52 ฿49.51

-28.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.38 ฿45.10

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.19 ฿38.84

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.70 ฿22.86

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.56 ฿18.13

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.58 ฿149

22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$16.56 ฿539

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.83 ฿59.5

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.20 ฿104

-14.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.88 ฿28.56

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.03 $24.03

$18.72 ฿610

28.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.36 ฿44.16

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.34 ฿43.65

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 $9.91

$7.84 ฿256

26.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.23 ฿39.92

-43.90%

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

$20.0K $20.0K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

-7.61%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

25.75%

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

$37.82 $37.82

$70.5 ฿2,298

-46.39%

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

$13.93 $13.93

$13.68 ฿445

1.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 $31.38

$17.45 ฿568

79.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 $30.56

$41.33 ฿1,346

-26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.42 $14.42

$6.96 ฿227

107.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 $7.26

$5.77 ฿188

25.82%

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

$253 $253

$307 ฿10.0K

-17.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,655 $5,655

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-61.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 $56.7

$55.8 ฿1,817

1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$26.21 ฿854

63.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 $96.6

$85.8 ฿2,793

12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 $66.9

$72.2 ฿2,353

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 $338

$430 ฿14.0K

-21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 $323

$239 ฿7,774

35.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 $628

$817 ฿26.6K

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 $488

$511 ฿16.6K

-4.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,077 $1,077

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-45.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$724 $724

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-51.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.6

112.00%

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

Last update for Babahoyo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $338 in Babahoyo and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Babahoyo vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $241, with Babahoyo cheaper for home cooking.

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

Babahoyo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babahoyo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babahoyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,292 in Babahoyo and $1,303 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $338 in Babahoyo versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $253 in Babahoyo versus $307 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Babahoyo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Babahoyo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Babahoyo and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Babahoyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.