Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast, ME and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,589 in Belfast, ME, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Belfast, ME
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Belfast, ME Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Belfast, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Belfast, ME vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Belfast, ME $2,589
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $3,813 per month in Belfast, ME vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Belfast, ME $3,813
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $5,037 per month in Belfast, ME vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Belfast, ME $5,037
Chiang Mai $1,999

Belfast, ME costs about 177% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Belfast, ME sits 92% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.70 $19.70

$2.13 ฿72.0

824.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$18.62 ฿628

299.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$5.60 ฿189

106.61%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$1.66 ฿56.1

225.30%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$0.65 ฿21.83

303.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.30 ฿10.29

580.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.32 ฿78.4

161.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.67 ฿124

92.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.02 ฿68.0

-47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.41 ฿47.51

156.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.39 ฿46.96

223.74%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.37 ฿79.9

77.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$16.52 ฿557

-26.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$2.67 ฿90.1

305.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$9.02 ฿304

93.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.40 ฿80.9

112.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.04 ฿35.13

55.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.66 ฿56.0

154.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$1.56 ฿52.6

159.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.24 ฿41.76

133.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.09 ฿36.66

177.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.76 ฿25.70

189.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.51 ฿17.35

319.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.12 ฿139

144.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.93 ฿605

-17.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.62 ฿54.8

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.82 ฿95.2

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.93 ฿31.53

127.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 $61.4

$52.9 ฿1,785

16.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.18 ฿39.70

223.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.17 ฿5.79

876.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 $31.77

$1.81 ฿61.1

1655.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 ฿49.69

-33.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

29.70%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-1.43%

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

$200 $200

$62.6 ฿2,111

219.44%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$11.60 ฿392

395.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$20.30 ฿685

237.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 $41.30

$37.88 ฿1,278

9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 $12.84

$6.51 ฿220

97.24%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$727 ฿24.5K

87.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

29.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$53.5 ฿1,807

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 $41.34

$24.80 ฿837

66.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$90.4 ฿3,050

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$72.0 ฿2,428

57.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$481 ฿16.2K

233.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$310 ฿10.5K

309.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,058 ฿35.7K

138.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$659 ฿22.2K

224.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

$2,418 ฿81.6K

16.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$1,609 ฿54.3K

45.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Belfast, ME: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Belfast, ME

$1.3K 49%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 75.6% $960

Groceries & Markets

Belfast, ME

$392 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 39.6% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belfast, ME

$326 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71% $231

Eating Out

Belfast, ME

$320 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.1% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Belfast, ME

$133 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 18.6% $25

Getting Around

Belfast, ME

$82 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 28.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Belfast, ME

$67 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 24% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,605 in Belfast, ME versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Belfast, ME versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Belfast, ME

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

19:17 7:17 PM

12 h ahead of Belfast, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,800

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Belfast, ME Chiang Mai 12,880 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Belfast, ME
Chiang Mai

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

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

Belfast, ME vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Belfast, ME is pricier by about 177%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,884 per month in Belfast, ME and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,605 in Belfast, ME.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,362 per month in Belfast, ME and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,589 in Belfast, ME and $935 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.