Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Bellville versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,810 in Bellville versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,440 in Bellville versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bellville is roughly 26% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bellville 14% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 R 206

$2.08 ฿69.3

509.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.95 R 405

$19.61 ฿653

27.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 R 98.2

$5.67 ฿189

6.70%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R 33.07

$1.81 ฿60.1

12.71%

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

$1.42 R 23.12

$0.77 ฿25.58

84.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 17.05

$0.35 ฿11.49

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 37.32

$2.21 ฿73.7

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 59.9

$3.79 ฿126

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 R 22.14

$2.05 ฿68.2

-33.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 R 20.51

$1.51 ฿50.4

-16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 R 36.69

$1.40 ฿46.57

61.43%

Eggs

$3.06 R 49.77

$2.26 ฿75.2

35.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 R 146

$16.19 ฿539

-44.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 R 115

$2.90 ฿96.4

143.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 R 160

$9.42 ฿314

4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.89

$2.68 ฿89.2

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 R 32.95

$1.09 ฿36.28

86.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.39

$1.62 ฿53.8

11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 36.03

$1.46 ฿48.61

52.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.06

$1.28 ฿42.54

20.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.88

$1.06 ฿35.21

44.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 R 22.55

$0.72 ฿23.88

93.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.26

$0.53 ฿17.51

124.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 R 59.5

$4.23 ฿141

-13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.15 R 99.9

$18.29 ฿609

-66.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.65

$1.63 ฿54.3

-14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R 35.53

$2.90 ฿96.6

-24.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 R 25.69

$0.88 ฿29.24

79.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 R 10.66

$1.17 ฿39.04

-43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 R 24.67

$0.58 ฿19.25

162.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 R 82.1

$2.39 ฿79.4

111.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 R 24.65

$1.45 ฿48.28

4.83%

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

$37.1K R 602.7K

$21.0K ฿699.5K

76.55%

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

$33.3K R 540.3K

$26.4K ฿879.7K

25.85%

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

$121 R 1,971

$63.7 ฿2,119

90.57%

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

$31.16 R 506

$12.89 ฿429

141.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.04 R 651

$20.52 ฿683

95.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.14 R 538

$39.02 ฿1,299

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 R 154

$6.58 ฿219

44.53%

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

$273 R 4,443

$784 ฿26.1K

-65.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,567 R 106.7K

$14.7K ฿488.4K

-55.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 948

$55.1 ฿1,835

5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.19 R 539

$24.74 ฿824

34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,958

$94.1 ฿3,133

28.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,784

$74.0 ฿2,462

48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R 7,041

$490 ฿16.3K

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 R 6,211

$288 ฿9,594

32.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 R 13.0K

$891 ฿29.7K

-10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 R 12.5K

$521 ฿17.3K

47.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.5K

$1,974 ฿65.7K

-54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$682 R 11.1K

$1,444 ฿48.1K

-52.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

5.57

97.85%

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

Last update for Bellville: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Bellville and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Bellville vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $241, with Bellville 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

Bellville vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Bellville. 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 $1,769 in Bellville and $1,398 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: $433 in Bellville versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bellville pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,179 per month in Bellville versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,179 in Bellville, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bellville. 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 $932 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bellville 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 26% less than in Bellville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.