Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belize City and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $1,218 in Belize City, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Belize City
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Belize City Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Belize City

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,218

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Belize City versus $906 in Chiang Mai.

Belize City $1,218
Chiang Mai $906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,805 in Belize City versus $1,385 in Chiang Mai.

Belize City $1,805
Chiang Mai $1,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,391 in Belize City versus $1,864 in Chiang Mai.

Belize City $2,391
Chiang Mai $1,864

Living in Belize City is roughly 34% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belize City 9% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.34 BZD 12.67

$2.13 ฿71.4

197.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.01 BZD 98.0

$19.40 ฿649

152.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.56 BZD 19.12

$5.47 ฿183

74.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 BZD 7.04

$1.68 ฿56.4

109.52%

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

$1.67 BZD 3.33

$0.66 ฿22.10

153.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 BZD 2.80

$0.34 ฿11.52

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 BZD 5.05

$2.42 ฿81.0

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 BZD 5.92

$3.73 ฿125

-20.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.71 BZD 7.43

$2.06 ฿68.9

80.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 BZD 4.98

$1.46 ฿48.78

70.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 BZD 6.79

$1.35 ฿45.09

151.11%

Eggs

$3.54 BZD 7.08

$2.27 ฿76.0

55.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.61 BZD 13.23

$16.31 ฿546

-59.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 BZD 19.38

$2.70 ฿90.3

258.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 BZD 18.04

$9.20 ฿308

-1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 BZD 5.58

$2.39 ฿80.1

16.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 BZD 3.66

$1.04 ฿34.66

75.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 BZD 5.57

$1.60 ฿53.7

74.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 BZD 5.90

$1.44 ฿48.37

104.86%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 BZD 8.28

$1.30 ฿43.59

218.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 BZD 5.65

$1.11 ฿37.29

154.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 BZD 4.64

$0.70 ฿23.55

231.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 BZD 3.05

$0.51 ฿16.99

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 BZD 9.11

$4.13 ฿138

10.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 BZD 19.44

$17.78 ฿595

-45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 BZD 4.81

$1.63 ฿54.7

47.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 BZD 4.25

$2.87 ฿96.0

-25.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 BZD 8.07

$0.86 ฿28.76

369.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 BZD 10.12

$1.22 ฿40.81

314.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 BZD 4.99

$1.50 ฿50.2

66.67%

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

$10.5K BZD 21.0K

$20.9K ฿698.3K

-49.69%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

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

$367 BZD 734

$61.3 ฿2,051

498.78%

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

$49.86 BZD 99.7

$12.50 ฿419

298.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.07 BZD 54.2

$20.36 ฿682

32.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.19 BZD 50.4

$37.94 ฿1,270

-33.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.42 BZD 4.83

$3.77 ฿126

-35.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 BZD 9.76

$6.60 ฿221

-26.06%

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

$65.3 BZD 131

$774 ฿25.9K

-91.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$666 BZD 1,332

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-95.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.73 BZD 65.5

$54.8 ฿1,835

-40.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.42 BZD 48.84

$25.26 ฿846

-3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.85 BZD 73.7

$90.6 ฿3,032

-59.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.54 BZD 75.1

$73.3 ฿2,453

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 BZD 697

$459 ฿15.4K

-24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 BZD 382

$294 ฿9,835

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 BZD 1,150

$919 ฿30.8K

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 BZD 653

$552 ฿18.5K

-40.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 BZD 1,691

$592 ฿19.8K

42.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.57

106.46%

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

Last update for Belize City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belize City

$444 36.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 78.8% $350

Groceries & Markets

Belize City

$317 26%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 25.6% $81

Accommodation & Living

Belize City

$191 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 54% $103

Eating Out

Belize City

$152 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 49.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Belize City

$59 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 85.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Belize City

$35 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 46.3% $16

Getting Around

Belize City

$21 * 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 186% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Belize City and $459 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belize City pays 43% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Belize City vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $236 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇿 Belize City

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

13:59 1:59 PM

13 h ahead of Belize City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,999

127,240

💱 Currency

Belize Dollar BZD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.446 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BZD – Belize Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇿 Belize Dollar ($)

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belize City Chiang Mai 15,900 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Belize City
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

Belize City vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Belize City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Belize City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $349 in Belize City versus $459 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Belize City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,218 per month in Belize City versus $906 in Chiang Mai – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $906 in Chiang Mai versus $1,218 in Belize City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Belize City. 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 $906 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Belize City 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 34% less than in Belize City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.