Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bat Yam and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,556 in Bat Yam, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in Bat Yam
Learn more

Bat Yam Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bat Yam

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,556

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bat Yam 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 Bat Yam and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,556 in Bat Yam versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bat Yam $2,556
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Bat Yam versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bat Yam $3,800
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,044 in Bat Yam versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bat Yam $5,044
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bat Yam is roughly 173% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bat Yam is 88% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 ₪69.8

$2.24 ฿75.6

894.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 ₪309

$19.00 ฿641

418.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.69 ₪52.3

$5.55 ฿187

200.72%

Cappuccino

$4.67 ₪14.63

$1.67 ฿56.5

179.64%

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

$2.83 ₪8.87

$0.64 ฿21.55

342.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₪6.72

$0.31 ฿10.31

590.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.46 ₪32.79

$2.36 ฿79.6

343.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 ₪31.25

$3.66 ฿124

172.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₪7.37

$1.95 ฿65.8

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 ₪8.30

$1.44 ฿48.48

84.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 ₪8.17

$1.33 ฿45.04

96.24%

Eggs

$4.58 ₪14.37

$2.28 ฿77.1

100.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.67 ₪24.05

$16.45 ฿555

-53.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 ₪37.52

$2.78 ฿93.9

330.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 ₪51.5

$9.31 ฿314

76.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₪10.38

$2.35 ฿79.4

40.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ₪9.19

$0.97 ฿32.80

202.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 ₪5.66

$1.60 ฿53.9

13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 ₪7.91

$1.50 ฿50.6

68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ₪5.31

$1.28 ฿43.12

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ₪4.94

$1.10 ฿37.19

42.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 ₪6.17

$0.71 ฿23.82

177.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₪2.94

$0.49 ฿16.37

91.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.09 ₪44.19

$4.14 ฿140

240.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 ₪39.77

$17.52 ฿591

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₪9.06

$1.61 ฿54.5

79.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₪7.95

$2.78 ฿94.0

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 ₪8.17

$0.87 ฿29.31

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 ₪287

$54.1 ฿1,826

69.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 ₪14.05

$1.16 ฿39.06

286.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ₪4.19

$0.53 ฿17.80

152.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.30 ₪126

$2.42 ฿81.8

1565.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.62 ₪8.23

$1.45 ฿48.90

80.69%

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

$57.6K ₪180.6K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

173.56%

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

$57.8K ₪181.4K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

114.67%

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

$399 ₪1,250

$62.2 ฿2,098

541.21%

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

$10.45 ₪32.77

$12.17 ฿411

-14.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 ₪171

$20.12 ฿679

171.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.8 ₪247

$37.31 ฿1,259

111.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.70 ₪61.8

$3.77 ฿127

422.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.64 ₪45.89

$6.49 ฿219

125.58%

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

$1,132 ₪3,550

$736 ฿24.8K

53.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K ₪76.2K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

64.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.60 ₪156

$53.4 ฿1,801

-7.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.10 ₪126

$24.64 ฿831

62.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 ₪439

$91.5 ฿3,087

53.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 ₪474

$71.9 ฿2,428

109.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 ₪4,995

$482 ฿16.3K

230.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 ₪3,093

$309 ฿10.4K

219.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,441 ₪7,654

$1,006 ฿33.9K

142.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 ₪5,331

$633 ฿21.4K

168.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K ₪31.6K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

326.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,752 ₪27.4K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

450.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.57

-8.98%

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

Last update for Bat Yam: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bat Yam

$986 38.6%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 68.7% $678

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bat Yam

$464 18.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 79.6% $369

Eating Out

Bat Yam

$376 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 79.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Bat Yam

$337 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 30.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Bat Yam

$171 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 36.6% $63

Getting Around

Bat Yam

$113 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 45.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Bat Yam

$108 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 53.5% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Bat Yam and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98 in Bat Yam vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Bat Yam

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

5 h ahead of Bat Yam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,565

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.319 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bat Yam Chiang Mai 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bat Yam
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

Bat Yam vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,834 in Bat Yam and $1,403 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: $1,593 in Bat Yam versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $98 in Bat Yam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,556 per month in Bat Yam versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Bat Yam and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Bat Yam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.