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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,219 per month in Ballsh vs $947 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,880 per month in Ballsh vs $1,411 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,541 per month in Ballsh vs $1,874 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ballsh costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ballsh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 11% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.18 ALL 806

$2.08 ฿69.2

389.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 ALL 4,302

$19.64 ฿651

176.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 ALL 560

$5.65 ฿188

24.96%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ALL 193

$1.81 ฿59.9

34.81%

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

$1.45 ALL 115

$0.71 ฿23.66

104.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ALL 66.6

$0.32 ฿10.48

162.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 ALL 283

$2.24 ฿74.2

59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ALL 337

$3.63 ฿121

17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ALL 178

$1.96 ฿65.0

14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ALL 101

$1.50 ฿49.83

-14.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ALL 192

$1.34 ฿44.32

80.60%

Eggs

$3.77 ALL 298

$2.26 ฿75.1

66.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.80 ALL 1,094

$16.26 ฿539

-15.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 ALL 733

$2.95 ฿98.0

213.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 ALL 1,397

$9.94 ฿330

77.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ALL 161

$2.57 ฿85.3

-21.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 ALL 198

$1.06 ฿35.04

135.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ALL 178

$1.61 ฿53.5

39.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ALL 147

$1.52 ฿50.4

21.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 ALL 82.9

$1.27 ฿42.14

-17.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ALL 107

$1.07 ฿35.37

26.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 ALL 115

$0.72 ฿23.89

101.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 65.1

$0.51 ฿16.87

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 ALL 379

$4.19 ฿139

14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ALL 891

$17.87 ฿593

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ALL 143

$1.69 ฿56.2

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 166

$2.84 ฿94.1

-26.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 38.45

$0.93 ฿30.70

-47.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.94 ALL 1,501

$53.9 ฿1,787

-64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ALL 304

$1.23 ฿40.95

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.86 ALL 306

$0.58 ฿19.13

565.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.06 ALL 1,510

$2.42 ฿80.4

687.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 ALL 189

$1.41 ฿46.84

68.79%

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

$35.0K ALL 2.8M

$21.4K ฿711.3K

63.32%

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

$36.0K ALL 2.9M

$27.3K ฿906.7K

31.72%

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

$104 ALL 8,222

$63.7 ฿2,112

62.93%

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

$19.18 ALL 1,520

$12.85 ฿426

49.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.57 ALL 1,630

$20.22 ฿671

1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.4 ALL 5,185

$38.74 ฿1,285

68.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿132

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 ALL 807

$6.74 ฿223

51.04%

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

$353 ALL 28.0K

$778 ฿25.8K

-54.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,430 ALL 668.1K

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-42.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ALL 4,058

$54.3 ฿1,801

-5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.21 ALL 3,821

$25.45 ฿844

89.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ALL 9,964

$94.3 ฿3,129

33.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ALL 9,066

$73.4 ฿2,436

55.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 ALL 41.9K

$490 ฿16.2K

7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ALL 25.4K

$289 ฿9,596

10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 ALL 63.7K

$894 ฿29.6K

-9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 ALL 36.0K

$517 ฿17.1K

-12.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,080 ALL 164.8K

$1,955 ฿64.9K

6.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ALL 114.4K

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-2.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

5.57

1.26%

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

Last update for Ballsh: September 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Ballsh versus $490 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Ballsh versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $240 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Ballsh is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,828 per month in Ballsh and $1,421 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Ballsh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Ballsh and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $947, than in Ballsh at $1,219. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballsh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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