Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikesir and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Balikesir and in Chiang Mai: $942 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Balikesir
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Balikesir Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Balikesir

🇹🇷 Turkey

$942

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikesir and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balikesir and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $942 per month in Balikesir vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Balikesir $942
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Balikesir vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Balikesir $1,467
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,991 per month in Balikesir vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Balikesir $1,991
Chiang Mai $1,999

Balikesir and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Balikesir and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Balikesir 30% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 ₺345

$2.13 ฿71.6

223.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.55 ₺1,382

$18.62 ฿624

47.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 ₺397

$5.60 ฿188

41.61%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ₺176

$1.66 ฿55.8

110.84%

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

$1.32 ₺66.4

$0.65 ฿21.69

103.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₺17.11

$0.30 ฿10.22

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ₺147

$2.32 ฿77.9

26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 ₺200

$3.67 ฿123

8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 ₺46.56

$2.02 ฿67.6

-53.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.59

$1.41 ฿47.21

-32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ₺107

$1.39 ฿46.67

53.24%

Eggs

$1.88 ₺94.1

$2.37 ฿79.4

-20.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₺391

$16.52 ฿554

-52.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 ₺173

$2.67 ฿89.5

29.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 ₺933

$9.02 ฿302

106.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₺92.9

$2.40 ฿80.4

-22.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₺82.5

$1.04 ฿34.91

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ₺49.46

$1.66 ฿55.6

-40.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ₺49.22

$1.56 ฿52.3

-37.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₺22.53

$1.24 ฿41.50

-63.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 ₺15.26

$1.09 ฿36.44

-72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₺36.35

$0.76 ฿25.54

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₺37.45

$0.51 ฿17.24

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 ₺112

$4.12 ฿138

-45.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 ₺568

$17.93 ฿601

-36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₺101

$1.62 ฿54.4

24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₺152

$2.82 ฿94.6

7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 ₺35.62

$0.93 ฿31.33

-23.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.40 ₺1,976

$52.9 ฿1,773

-25.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ₺56.2

$1.18 ฿39.45

-5.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₺56.6

$0.17 ฿5.75

564.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ₺201

$1.81 ฿60.8

120.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₺65.8

$1.47 ฿49.38

-10.88%

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

$39.8K ₺2.0M

$21.0K ฿704.5K

89.25%

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

$40.4K ₺2.0M

$26.5K ฿889.1K

52.22%

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

$44.52 ₺2,233

$62.6 ฿2,098

-28.84%

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

$12.10 ₺607

$11.60 ฿389

4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.95 ₺750

$20.30 ฿681

-26.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 ₺2,967

$37.88 ฿1,270

56.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 ₺1,501

$3.70 ฿124

708.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 ₺203

$6.51 ฿218

-37.94%

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

$589 ₺29.5K

$727 ฿24.4K

-18.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₺600.6K

$16.6K ฿555.7K

-27.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.59 ₺1,183

$53.5 ฿1,795

-55.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.28 ₺817

$24.80 ฿832

-34.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₺3,552

$90.4 ฿3,031

-21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.30 ₺2,021

$72.0 ฿2,413

-44.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ₺20.1K

$481 ฿16.1K

-16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₺16.3K

$310 ฿10.4K

4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ₺41.5K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 ₺28.8K

$659 ฿22.1K

-12.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₺50.5K

$2,418 ฿81.1K

-58.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$806 ₺40.4K

$1,609 ฿53.9K

-49.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,297 ₺65.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

117.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

39.8

5.57

614.54%

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

Last update for Balikesir: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balikesir

$325 34.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 4.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Balikesir

$212 22.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 11.7% $25

Eating Out

Balikesir

$150 15.9%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 49% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikesir

$72 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 32% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Balikesir

$68 7.2%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 59.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Balikesir

$67 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 24.3% $16

Getting Around

Balikesir

$49 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 19.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $401 in Balikesir versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Balikesir are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Balikesir versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $212 in Balikesir vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Balikesir wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Balikesir

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:04 7:04 PM

23:04 11:04 PM

4 h ahead of Balikesir

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,170

127,240

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Balikesir Chiang Mai 7,090 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikesir
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,413 per month in Balikesir and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $401 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Balikesir and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $942 in Balikesir and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $942 in Balikesir. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balikesir makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.