Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, NE and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, NE
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Bellevue, NE Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,275

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,275 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $2,275
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $3,435
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $4,596
Chiang Mai $1,914

Bellevue, NE costs about 142% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bellevue, NE sits 69% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 $20.19

$2.26 ฿75.4

793.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 $77.2

$19.18 ฿641

302.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$5.59 ฿187

116.10%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$1.72 ฿57.6

245.35%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.64 ฿21.54

289.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.33 ฿11.18

469.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.36 ฿78.7

157.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$3.90 ฿130

96.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.05 ฿68.6

-57.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.40 ฿46.70

127.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.28 ฿42.89

248.44%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$2.25 ฿75.3

88.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$16.94 ฿566

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$2.74 ฿91.6

261.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 $15.54

$9.36 ฿313

66.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.40 ฿80.3

88.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.01 ฿33.92

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.61 ฿53.9

172.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.52 ฿50.7

185.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.28 ฿42.90

47.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.11 ฿37.22

165.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.72 ฿24.09

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.52 ฿17.54

375.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.33 ฿145

85.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 $15.53

$17.73 ฿593

-12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.63 ฿54.4

22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.85 ฿95.3

96.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.85 ฿28.31

130.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$53.9 ฿1,801

46.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.17 ฿39.18

157.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.57 ฿19.00

136.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 $25.45

$2.37 ฿79.2

973.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.45 ฿48.32

-29.66%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

69.90%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

2.33%

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

$202 $202

$62.3 ฿2,083

223.70%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$12.27 ฿410

430.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$19.97 ฿668

261.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.16 $42.16

$37.91 ฿1,267

11.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.14 $40.14

$3.76 ฿126

967.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$6.71 ฿224

121.01%

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

$971 $971

$797 ฿26.6K

21.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 $59.6

$53.3 ฿1,780

11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.97 $43.97

$25.05 ฿837

75.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$91.6 ฿3,062

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$73.5 ฿2,455

67.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$464 ฿15.5K

141.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 $909

$305 ฿10.2K

198.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 $1,859

$915 ฿30.6K

103.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$552 ฿18.5K

183.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,804 $2,804

$1,912 ฿63.9K

46.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,440 $2,440

$1,438 ฿48.1K

69.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,084 $5,084

$595 ฿19.9K

754.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, NE

$909 40%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 66.5% $605

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, NE

$380 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 37.4% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, NE

$339 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 72.1% $244

Eating Out

Bellevue, NE

$332 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 76.2% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, NE

$146 6.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 25.1% $37

Getting Around

Bellevue, NE

$96 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 36.4% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, NE

$72 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 28.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,121 in Bellevue, NE versus $464 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.

Salaries run about 754% higher in Bellevue, NE, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bellevue, NE versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

21:29 9:29 PM

12 h ahead of Bellevue, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bellevue, NE Chiang Mai 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, NE
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

Bellevue, NE vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, $938 in Chiang Mai – roughly 142% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,412 per month in Bellevue, NE and $1,408 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bellevue, NE and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 142%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Bellevue, NE at $2,275. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellevue, NE it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $938 in Chiang Mai to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bellevue, NE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.