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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $535 in Bambous versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $902 in Bambous versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,268 in Bambous versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bambous costs roughly 43% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bambous 61% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 MUR 207

$2.08 ฿69.2

109.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.99 MUR 1,804

$19.61 ฿652

93.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MUR 196

$5.67 ฿189

-27.34%

Cappuccino

$2.13 MUR 101

$1.81 ฿60.0

17.68%

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

$1.09 MUR 51.6

$0.77 ฿25.55

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MUR 20.79

$0.35 ฿11.48

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MUR 127

$2.21 ฿73.6

20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MUR 74.7

$3.79 ฿126

-58.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MUR 56.8

$2.05 ฿68.1

-41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.69

$1.51 ฿50.4

-51.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MUR 51.4

$1.40 ฿46.51

-22.86%

Eggs

$2.59 MUR 123

$2.26 ฿75.1

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 MUR 251

$16.19 ฿538

-67.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 MUR 153

$2.90 ฿96.3

11.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.27 MUR 203

$9.42 ฿313

-54.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 98.4

$2.68 ฿89.1

-22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 124

$1.09 ฿36.23

138.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.8

$1.62 ฿53.8

-10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 MUR 138

$1.46 ฿48.55

98.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 44.71

$1.28 ฿42.48

-26.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 MUR 45.74

$1.06 ฿35.17

-9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 MUR 33.62

$0.72 ฿23.85

-1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MUR 43.51

$0.53 ฿17.49

73.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 MUR 298

$4.23 ฿141

48.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 MUR 406

$18.29 ฿608

-53.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MUR 78.2

$1.63 ฿54.2

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MUR 108

$2.90 ฿96.5

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 MUR 198

$1.17 ฿38.99

255.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 MUR 148

$0.58 ฿19.22

437.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.89 MUR 992

$2.39 ฿79.3

774.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 63.9

$1.45 ฿48.22

-7.59%

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

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$21.0K ฿698.6K

73.99%

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

$31.7K MUR 1.5M

$26.4K ฿878.6K

20.10%

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

$44.49 MUR 2,113

$63.7 ฿2,116

-30.10%

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

$10.62 MUR 505

$12.89 ฿429

-17.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MUR 1,403

$20.52 ฿682

43.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 MUR 308

$6.58 ฿219

-1.52%

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

$128 MUR 6,059

$784 ฿26.1K

-83.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,820 MUR 371.4K

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-46.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 MUR 3,734

$55.1 ฿1,833

42.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 MUR 3,579

$24.74 ฿823

204.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,725

$94.1 ฿3,130

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 MUR 3,648

$74.0 ฿2,459

3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.57

19.75%

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

Last update for Bambous: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $38.00 in Bambous vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $173 vs $241, with Bambous 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

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

Bambous and Chiang Mai differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($535 vs $932 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $803 in Bambous and $1,398 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.

Childcare runs $128 in Bambous versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $535 in Bambous versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous 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, Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.