Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Ombre and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Ombre and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Bel Ombre versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,744 in Bel Ombre versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,428 in Bel Ombre versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bel Ombre is roughly 24% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Ombre 21% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 MUR 307

$1.96 ฿63.6

235.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.60 MUR 2,038

$18.81 ฿611

131.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 MUR 340

$7.92 ฿258

-8.08%

Cappuccino

$2.54 MUR 119

$1.91 ฿62.2

32.98%

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

$1.01 MUR 46.99

$0.84 ฿27.25

20.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 27.87

$0.35 ฿11.44

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MUR 104

$2.21 ฿71.7

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MUR 156

$3.80 ฿124

-11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 78.4

$1.64 ฿53.2

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 30.80

$1.62 ฿52.8

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 59.8

$1.18 ฿38.40

8.47%

Eggs

$2.35 MUR 110

$2.01 ฿65.4

16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.79 MUR 551

$15.89 ฿517

-25.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 MUR 282

$3.01 ฿98.0

100.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 MUR 596

$10.77 ฿350

18.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 96.8

$2.61 ฿85.0

-20.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MUR 90.4

$1.22 ฿39.65

58.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.3

$1.70 ฿55.4

-15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 MUR 127

$1.58 ฿51.2

72.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.60

$1.32 ฿42.89

-24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MUR 43.99

$1.17 ฿38.01

-19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.35

$0.67 ฿21.85

25.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MUR 38.20

$0.56 ฿18.21

46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 MUR 307

$4.53 ฿147

44.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 MUR 404

$18.20 ฿592

-52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MUR 84.5

$1.83 ฿59.6

-1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MUR 102

$3.23 ฿105

-32.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.29

$0.89 ฿28.83

11.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿630

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 MUR 211

$1.35 ฿43.95

234.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$1.35 ฿43.79

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 MUR 944

$8.25 ฿268

144.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.4

$1.27 ฿41.40

14.96%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

68.96%

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

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

26.25%

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

$48.57 MUR 2,270

$70.2 ฿2,281

-30.76%

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

$18.54 MUR 867

$13.77 ฿448

34.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.96 MUR 1,588

$17.60 ฿572

92.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 MUR 1,816

$41.57 ฿1,352

-6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 MUR 290

$5.78 ฿188

7.44%

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

$155 MUR 7,230

$306 ฿9,953

-49.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,951 MUR 184.7K

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-73.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 MUR 3,977

$54.4 ฿1,768

56.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.2 MUR 3,658

$26.14 ฿850

199.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 MUR 6,084

$84.5 ฿2,748

53.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 MUR 4,369

$69.4 ฿2,257

34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MUR 23.8K

$424 ฿13.8K

20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 MUR 16.5K

$238 ฿7,743

48.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 MUR 45.2K

$825 ฿26.8K

17.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 MUR 33.9K

$515 ฿16.7K

40.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿66.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

33.40%

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

Last update for Bel Ombre: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Bel Ombre and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Bel Ombre vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $243, with Bel Ombre 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

Bel Ombre vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Bel Ombre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,591 in Bel Ombre and $1,278 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: $510 in Bel Ombre versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Bel Ombre versus $306 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 Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $44.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,061 in Bel Ombre, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bel Ombre. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bel Ombre 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 24% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.