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: $742 in Babahoyo versus $942 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,218 in Babahoyo versus $1,427 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Babahoyo versus $1,912 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Babahoyo costs roughly 21% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Babahoyo 45% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 $3.53

$2.08 ฿68.9

69.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.82 $29.82

$19.91 ฿659

49.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 $6.41

$5.58 ฿185

14.87%

Cappuccino

$2.55 $2.55

$1.74 ฿57.5

46.55%

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

$0.72 $0.72

$0.72 ฿23.82

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.32 ฿10.59

128.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.25 ฿74.5

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.81 ฿126

-20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.02 ฿66.8

-49.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.57 ฿52.0

-1.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.40 ฿46.21

7.14%

Eggs

$2.14 $2.14

$2.15 ฿71.3

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$15.63 ฿518

-62.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$2.95 ฿97.6

77.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$9.49 ฿314

-24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.60 ฿86.2

-35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.08 ฿35.80

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.59 ฿52.7

-25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.45 ฿48.09

-25.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.28 ฿42.26

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.11 ฿36.78

-6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 $0.70

$0.73 ฿24.04

-4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.50 ฿16.54

104.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.27 ฿141

19.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$17.67 ฿585

-49.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.68 ฿55.7

-11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.80 ฿92.8

13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.87 ฿28.64

-57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.64 $17.64

$54.2 ฿1,794

-67.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.21 ฿40.15

10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.54 ฿17.84

101.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 $9.86

$2.39 ฿79.0

312.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.46 ฿48.46

-43.84%

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

$20.6K $20.6K

$21.0K ฿695.7K

-2.01%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$26.7K ฿883.8K

8.99%

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

$36.57 $36.57

$62.1 ฿2,055

-41.08%

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

$12.74 $12.74

$12.93 ฿428

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.90 $25.90

$20.61 ฿682

25.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.93 $29.93

$39.21 ฿1,298

-23.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 $16.50

$3.77 ฿125

337.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 $6.70

$6.52 ฿216

2.76%

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

$214 $214

$803 ฿26.6K

-73.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,034 $6,034

$14.7K ฿486.6K

-58.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$55.9 ฿1,850

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.22 $42.22

$25.51 ฿845

65.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$91.1 ฿3,015

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 $69.8

$73.3 ฿2,427

-4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 $294

$484 ฿16.0K

-39.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 $187

$288 ฿9,542

-35.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 $701

$885 ฿29.3K

-20.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 $417

$523 ฿17.3K

-20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,192 $1,192

$1,989 ฿65.9K

-40.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 $787

$1,440 ฿47.7K

-45.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

5.57

80.43%

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

Last update for Babahoyo: September 21, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Babahoyo and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Babahoyo vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $238, 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 27% 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 $1,114 in Babahoyo and $1,414 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: $294 in Babahoyo versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $214 in Babahoyo versus $803 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $742 in Babahoyo versus $942 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Babahoyo but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Babahoyo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Babahoyo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $742 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 27% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.