Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $33,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

181

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

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,763 in Bellevue, WA versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bellevue, WA $3,763
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bellevue, WA $5,702
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,641 in Bellevue, WA versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bellevue, WA $7,641
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bellevue, WA is roughly 302% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bellevue, WA is 177% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.38 $25.38

$2.24 ฿75.6

1033.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$19.00 ฿641

429.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$5.55 ฿187

134.77%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$1.67 ฿56.5

247.31%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$0.64 ฿21.55

392.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.31 ฿10.31

709.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$2.36 ฿79.6

235.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.66 ฿124

116.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.95 ฿65.8

-43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.44 ฿48.48

222.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.33 ฿45.04

354.89%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.28 ฿77.1

142.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.45 ฿555

-2.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$2.78 ฿93.9

484.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$9.31 ฿314

144.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.35 ฿79.4

138.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.97 ฿32.80

92.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$1.60 ฿53.9

246.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.50 ฿50.6

201.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.28 ฿43.12

116.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.10 ฿37.19

201.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.71 ฿23.82

180.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.49 ฿16.37

406.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 $12.41

$4.14 ฿140

199.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$17.52 ฿591

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.61 ฿54.5

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.78 ฿94.0

70.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.87 ฿29.31

250.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$54.1 ฿1,826

103.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.16 ฿39.06

127.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.53 ฿17.80

220.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$2.42 ฿81.8

1143.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.45 ฿48.90

-2.76%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

35.79%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-2.23%

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

$227 $227

$62.2 ฿2,098

265.90%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$12.17 ฿411

345.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$20.12 ฿679

221.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$186 $186

$37.31 ฿1,259

398.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

$3.77 ฿127

942.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$6.49 ฿219

181.66%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$736 ฿24.8K

168.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$14.8K ฿498.3K

115.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$53.4 ฿1,801

16.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 $44.06

$24.64 ฿831

78.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$91.5 ฿3,087

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$71.9 ฿2,428

74.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$482 ฿16.3K

509.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$309 ฿10.4K

556.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,554 $6,554

$1,006 ฿33.9K

551.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,722 $3,722

$633 ฿21.4K

487.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

$2,363 ฿79.8K

236.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

$1,589 ฿53.6K

238.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,751 $8,751

$590 ฿19.9K

1383.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 84.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 52.6% $260

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 80.1% $312

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 72.7% $252

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 77.4% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$149 4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 27% $40

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 54% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,940 in Bellevue, WA and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays about 15 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Bellevue, WA vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

15 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Bellevue, WA Chiang Mai 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chiang Mai is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Bellevue, WA is about 15 times higher, 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: $2,940 in Bellevue, WA versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,763 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bellevue, WA and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.