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: $1,043 in Bel Ombre versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,736 in Bel Ombre versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,430 in Bel Ombre versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bel Ombre is roughly 20% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bel Ombre 22% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 MUR 303

$1.98 ฿64.3

225.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 MUR 2,111

$18.80 ฿612

138.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 MUR 335

$7.75 ฿252

-8.26%

Cappuccino

$2.60 MUR 122

$1.92 ฿62.5

35.42%

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

$1.04 MUR 48.88

$0.79 ฿25.79

31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.64

$0.36 ฿11.62

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MUR 101

$2.21 ฿72.1

-3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 MUR 157

$3.66 ฿119

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MUR 78.9

$1.65 ฿53.8

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 MUR 32.65

$1.63 ฿53.2

-57.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.3

$1.19 ฿38.86

10.92%

Eggs

$2.34 MUR 110

$2.00 ฿65.1

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 MUR 549

$15.98 ฿520

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 MUR 283

$3.03 ฿98.5

98.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 MUR 588

$10.86 ฿354

15.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.3

$2.76 ฿90.0

-28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MUR 90.6

$1.18 ฿38.42

62.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MUR 70.7

$1.64 ฿53.5

-8.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 129

$1.52 ฿49.51

80.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.97

$1.38 ฿45.10

-27.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.73

$1.19 ฿38.84

-21.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.06

$0.70 ฿22.86

12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MUR 37.42

$0.56 ฿18.13

41.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 MUR 312

$4.58 ฿149

44.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 MUR 393

$16.56 ฿539

-49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MUR 83.4

$1.83 ฿59.5

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 MUR 103

$3.20 ฿104

-31.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 MUR 48.54

$0.88 ฿28.56

17.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 MUR 209

$1.36 ฿44.16

226.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MUR 127

$1.34 ฿43.65

101.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 MUR 948

$7.84 ฿256

156.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 65.6

$1.23 ฿39.92

13.01%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

65.01%

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

$28.2K MUR 1.3M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

25.29%

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

$49.67 MUR 2,339

$70.5 ฿2,298

-29.59%

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

$18.19 MUR 857

$13.68 ฿445

32.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.38 MUR 1,572

$17.45 ฿568

91.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 MUR 1,817

$41.33 ฿1,346

-6.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 MUR 282

$5.77 ฿188

3.64%

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

$151 MUR 7,116

$307 ฿10.0K

-50.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,888 MUR 183.1K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-73.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 MUR 4,042

$55.8 ฿1,817

53.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.4 MUR 3,785

$26.21 ฿854

206.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,152

$85.8 ฿2,793

52.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 MUR 4,387

$72.2 ฿2,353

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MUR 24.2K

$430 ฿14.0K

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MUR 16.7K

$239 ฿7,774

48.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 MUR 45.1K

$817 ฿26.6K

17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 MUR 33.5K

$511 ฿16.6K

39.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Bel Ombre and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Bel Ombre vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $241, 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 20% 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 $1,564 in Bel Ombre and $1,303 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: $514 in Bel Ombre versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $151 in Bel Ombre versus $307 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 $45.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,043 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 $869 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 20% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.