Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Behbahan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Behbahan: $525 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Behbahan, Iran
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Behbahan
🇮🇷 Iran
$525
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $525 in Behbahan versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

  • Behbahan $525
  • Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $803 in Behbahan versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

  • Behbahan $803
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,082 in Behbahan versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

  • Behbahan $1,082
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Behbahan costs roughly 44% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Behbahan 61% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.54 $4.54
$2.24 ฿75.7
102.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.93 $12.93
$19.00 ฿642
-31.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.04 $4.04
$5.55 ฿188
-27.21%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 $0.99
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.16 $1.16
$1.67 ฿56.6
-30.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 $0.66
$0.64 ฿21.56
3.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 $0.91
$0.31 ฿10.32
193.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.36 ฿79.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.66 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.67 $0.67
$1.95 ฿65.8
-65.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.41 $0.41
$1.44 ฿48.51
-71.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.33 ฿45.07
48.87%
Eggs
$1.22 $1.22
$2.28 ฿77.1
-46.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$16.45 ฿556
-86.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.78 ฿94.0
-20.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.90 $9.90
$9.31 ฿314
6.34%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 $1.07
$2.35 ฿79.5
-54.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 $1.61
$0.97 ฿32.82
65.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.60 ฿53.9
-43.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.58 $0.58
$1.50 ฿50.7
-61.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 $0.57
$1.28 ฿43.15
-55.47%
Onion (1kg)
$0.52 $0.52
$1.10 ฿37.22
-52.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.51 $0.51
$0.71 ฿23.84
-28.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 $0.19
$0.49 ฿16.38
-61.22%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$0.82 $0.82
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 $0.57
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.04 $3.04
$4.14 ฿140
-26.57%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$17.52 ฿592
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.61 ฿54.5
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.78 ฿94.0
-
🚌 Getting Around
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 $0.16
$0.87 ฿29.33
-81.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.17 $10.17
$54.1 ฿1,827
-81.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 $0.39
$1.16 ฿39.08
-66.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 $0.22
$0.53 ฿17.82
-58.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.42 ฿81.8
42.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.08 $0.08
$1.45 ฿48.93
-94.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$64.3K $64.3K
$21.1K ฿711.2K
205.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$53.8K $53.8K
$26.9K ฿909.8K
99.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$24.10 $24.10
$62.2 ฿2,100
-61.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.07 $2.07
$12.17 ฿411
-82.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$3.89 $3.89
$20.12 ฿680
-80.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.20 $20.20
$37.31 ฿1,260
-45.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.77 $14.77
$3.77 ฿127
291.78%
Cinema Ticket
$2.01 $2.01
$6.49 ฿219
-69.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$104 $104
$736 ฿24.9K
-85.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,406 $2,406
$14.8K ฿498.6K
-83.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.08 $23.08
$53.4 ฿1,802
-56.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.62 $18.62
$24.64 ฿832
-24.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 $93.5
$91.5 ฿3,089
2.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.6 $54.6
$71.9 ฿2,429
-24.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$322 $322
$482 ฿16.3K
-33.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$204 $204
$309 ฿10.4K
-33.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$766 $766
$1,006 ฿34.0K
-23.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$321 $321
$633 ฿21.4K
-49.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,027 $1,027
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-56.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$510 $510
$1,589 ฿53.7K
-67.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Behbahan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
24.3
5.57
336.27%

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

Last update for Behbahan: 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
Behbahan
$204
Chiang Mai
$309 51.2% $105
Groceries & Markets
Behbahan
$100
Chiang Mai
$234 135% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Behbahan
$85
Chiang Mai
$109 27.2% $23
Eating Out
Behbahan
$69
Chiang Mai
$78 13.1% $9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Behbahan
$30
Chiang Mai
$94 214% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Behbahan
$24
Chiang Mai
$50 108% $26
Getting Around
Behbahan
$12
Chiang Mai
$61 399% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $322 in Behbahan and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $13 in Behbahan vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $234 per month, with Behbahan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇷 Behbahan
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
01:43 1:43 AM
05:13 5:13 AM
3 h 30 min ahead of Behbahan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
122,604
127,240
💱 Currency
USD USD
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – USD Converter

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Behbahan Chiang Mai 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Behbahan
  • Chiang Mai

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

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
Behbahan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Behbahan cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Behbahan is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $787 in Behbahan 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.
What is the rent difference between Behbahan and Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $322 in Behbahan versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Behbahan and in Chiang Mai?
All in, you’ll spend $525 per month in Behbahan versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Behbahan is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Behbahan runs roughly 81% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Behbahan or in Chiang Mai?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Behbahan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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