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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,730 in Balbriggan versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Balbriggan versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Balbriggan versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 193% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balbriggan is 100% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 €21.73

$2.08 ฿69.5

1098.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €91.6

$19.61 ฿655

436.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €12.02

$5.67 ฿189

143.21%

Cappuccino

$5.05 €4.40

$1.81 ฿60.3

179.01%

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

$2.96 €2.58

$0.77 ฿25.65

284.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.35 ฿11.53

551.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 €7.07

$2.21 ฿73.9

266.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.48 €6.52

$3.79 ฿127

97.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$2.05 ฿68.4

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.51 ฿50.6

63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.40 ฿46.69

47.86%

Eggs

$3.24 €2.82

$2.26 ฿75.4

43.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 €8.74

$16.19 ฿540

-38.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 €11.22

$2.90 ฿96.7

343.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.85 €14.69

$9.42 ฿314

78.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.64

$2.68 ฿89.4

13.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.09 ฿36.37

111.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.62 ฿54.0

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.77

$1.46 ฿48.74

275.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.28 ฿42.65

57.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.06 ฿35.31

43.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.20

$0.72 ฿23.94

90.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.53 ฿17.56

277.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.09 €19.25

$4.23 ฿141

422.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 €12.22

$18.29 ฿611

-23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.47

$1.63 ฿54.4

73.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.32

$2.90 ฿96.8

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 €2.21

$0.88 ฿29.32

187.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 €95.1

$53.8 ฿1,795

102.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.67

$1.17 ฿39.14

357.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.39

$0.58 ฿19.30

174.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.21 €33.31

$2.39 ฿79.6

1498.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.45 ฿48.41

53.10%

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

$40.9K €35.7K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

94.76%

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

$40.3K €35.1K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

52.52%

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

$176 €154

$63.7 ฿2,125

177.01%

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

$17.27 €15.05

$12.89 ฿430

33.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.17 €40.25

$20.52 ฿685

125.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.6 €47.56

$39.02 ฿1,302

39.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$13.60 €11.85

$6.58 ฿220

106.69%

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

$1,318 €1,149

$784 ฿26.2K

68.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,482 €4,778

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-62.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €98.5

$55.1 ฿1,840

105.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.34 €25.57

$24.74 ฿826

18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 €55.9

$94.1 ฿3,142

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €113

$74.0 ฿2,469

75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 €1,436

$490 ฿16.4K

235.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,229

$288 ฿9,620

389.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 €2,205

$891 ฿29.8K

183.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 €1,950

$521 ฿17.4K

329.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,394 €2,087

$602 ฿20.1K

298.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,647 in Balbriggan and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 298% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $105 in Balbriggan vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $241 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Balbriggan and Chiang Mai differ by about 193% in total monthly costs ($2,730 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 298% higher in Balbriggan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,647 in Balbriggan versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,730 in Balbriggan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balbriggan 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.