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: $1,049 in Bel Ombre versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,733 in Bel Ombre versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,417 in Bel Ombre versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bel Ombre is roughly 23% more expensive than in 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

$6.74 MUR 316

$2.04 ฿68.2

230.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 MUR 2,055

$18.71 ฿624

134.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 MUR 332

$7.86 ฿262

-9.80%

Cappuccino

$2.56 MUR 120

$2.03 ฿67.7

26.11%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.42

$0.80 ฿26.64

28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MUR 25.85

$0.35 ฿11.68

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.14 ฿71.5

5.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MUR 153

$3.67 ฿122

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MUR 79.9

$1.73 ฿57.6

-1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.57

$1.57 ฿52.4

-58.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 MUR 59.7

$1.20 ฿39.99

5.83%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$1.97 ฿65.8

14.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 MUR 560

$16.23 ฿541

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 MUR 284

$3.06 ฿102

98.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 MUR 588

$10.80 ฿360

16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.4

$2.77 ฿92.3

-28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MUR 91.0

$1.17 ฿38.94

65.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.5

$1.71 ฿57.0

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 122

$1.59 ฿53.2

63.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.24

$1.39 ฿46.51

-25.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.79

$1.16 ฿38.56

-13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.13

$0.66 ฿22.05

19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MUR 37.78

$0.52 ฿17.31

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 MUR 318

$4.65 ฿155

46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MUR 397

$17.78 ฿593

-52.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.8

$1.79 ฿59.6

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 MUR 106

$3.34 ฿111

-32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 48.82

$0.91 ฿30.27

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 MUR 200

$1.41 ฿47.04

203.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MUR 128

$1.34 ฿44.70

102.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.55 MUR 916

$8.11 ฿270

141.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.3

$1.23 ฿41.16

18.70%

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

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

66.72%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

31.27%

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

$48.53 MUR 2,273

$71.3 ฿2,379

-31.96%

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

$18.11 MUR 848

$14.01 ฿467

29.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.67 MUR 1,577

$17.93 ฿598

87.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 MUR 1,764

$40.82 ฿1,362

-7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 MUR 281

$5.72 ฿191

4.72%

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

$155 MUR 7,276

$308 ฿10.3K

-49.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,932 MUR 184.2K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-73.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 MUR 4,034

$55.8 ฿1,860

54.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.6 MUR 3,730

$26.04 ฿869

205.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,114

$84.8 ฿2,829

53.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 MUR 4,387

$71.0 ฿2,368

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 23.9K

$423 ฿14.1K

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 MUR 16.3K

$242 ฿8,088

43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MUR 44.1K

$797 ฿26.6K

18.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MUR 33.5K

$507 ฿16.9K

41.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $511 in Bel Ombre and $423 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 $230 vs $244, 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 23% 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 $1,574 in Bel Ombre and $1,279 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: $511 in Bel Ombre versus $423 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 $308 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 $1,049 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 23% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.