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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,500 in Bayamo versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,066 in Bayamo versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,632 in Bayamo versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bayamo is roughly 73% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bayamo is 12% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.27 CUP 78.4

$1.94 ฿63.5

68.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.10 CUP 1,178

$18.64 ฿609

163.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 CUP 164

$7.82 ฿255

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CUP 75.7

$1.95 ฿63.8

61.54%

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

$1.27 CUP 30.48

$0.85 ฿27.77

49.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.85

$0.35 ฿11.58

208.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 CUP 47.13

$2.13 ฿69.6

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CUP 42.58

$3.73 ฿122

-52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 CUP 72.7

$1.71 ฿56.0

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$1.63 ฿53.2

-40.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 CUP 71.1

$1.14 ฿37.15

159.65%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.3

$1.93 ฿63.1

84.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.82 CUP 140

$16.21 ฿530

-64.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 CUP 142

$3.12 ฿102

89.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.17 CUP 292

$10.90 ฿356

11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 CUP 117

$2.75 ฿90.0

76.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.36

$1.21 ฿39.52

0.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.29

$1.62 ฿53.0

-9.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.40

$1.59 ฿51.8

-7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 CUP 47.51

$1.40 ฿45.70

41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 CUP 72.8

$1.17 ฿38.17

158.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.27

$0.66 ฿21.60

53.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.77

$0.53 ฿17.22

111.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 CUP 93.2

$4.69 ฿153

-17.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 CUP 240

$18.66 ฿609

-46.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 47.02

$1.80 ฿58.8

8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 46.94

$3.23 ฿106

-39.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 CUP 4.28

$0.90 ฿29.26

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.39 CUP 825

$19.21 ฿628

79.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 CUP 53.5

$1.41 ฿45.91

58.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.87

$1.29 ฿42.12

-68.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 CUP 483

$7.84 ฿256

156.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CUP 29.31

$1.27 ฿41.58

-3.94%

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

$74.8K CUP 1.8M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

251.47%

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

$88.5K CUP 2.1M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

298.45%

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

$30.49 CUP 732

$69.1 ฿2,256

-55.86%

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

$9.88 CUP 237

$14.08 ฿460

-29.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$253 CUP 6,065

$18.00 ฿588

1303.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.26 CUP 966

$41.06 ฿1,341

-1.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.02 CUP 241

$6.96 ฿227

43.97%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.68

$5.92 ฿193

-83.28%

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

$96.8 CUP 2,324

$299 ฿9,766

-67.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K CUP 365.3K

$15.0K ฿488.3K

1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.09 CUP 482

$54.7 ฿1,787

-63.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.83 CUP 596

$26.77 ฿874

-7.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 CUP 1,712

$85.0 ฿2,776

-16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.0 CUP 1,296

$70.6 ฿2,306

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 CUP 10.3K

$428 ฿14.0K

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 CUP 16.3K

$237 ฿7,752

186.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 CUP 14.2K

$801 ฿26.2K

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$978 CUP 23.5K

$515 ฿16.8K

89.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$395 CUP 9,482

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-79.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$346 CUP 8,304

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-76.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.82 CUP 476

$617 ฿20.2K

-96.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.00%

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

Last update for Bayamo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Bayamo and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 3015% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Bayamo vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $246 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Chiang Mai earns 3015% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $431 in Bayamo versus $428 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 $19.00 versus $49.00 in Bayamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,500 per month in Bayamo versus $866 in Chiang Mai – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,500 in Bayamo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bayamo. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bayamo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bayamo 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 73% less than in Bayamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.