Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belton, SC and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,623 in Belton, SC, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Belton, SC
Learn more

Belton, SC Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Belton, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,623

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,623 in Belton, SC versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Belton, SC $2,623
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,807 in Belton, SC versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Belton, SC $3,807
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,992 in Belton, SC versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Belton, SC $4,992
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Belton, SC is roughly 180% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belton, SC is 94% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$2.13 ฿72.0

833.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$18.62 ฿628

306.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$5.60 ฿189

110.00%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$1.66 ฿56.1

228.92%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$0.65 ฿21.83

313.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.30 ฿10.29

580.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.32 ฿78.4

152.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.67 ฿124

95.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.02 ฿68.0

-50.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.41 ฿47.51

147.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.39 ฿46.96

212.23%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.37 ฿79.9

79.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$16.52 ฿557

-25.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$2.67 ฿90.1

328.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$9.02 ฿304

88.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.40 ฿80.9

111.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.04 ฿35.13

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.66 ฿56.0

162.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.56 ฿52.6

194.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.24 ฿41.76

132.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.09 ฿36.66

163.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.76 ฿25.70

181.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.51 ฿17.35

337.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$4.12 ฿139

139.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$17.93 ฿605

-17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.62 ฿54.8

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.82 ฿95.2

18.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.93 ฿31.53

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$52.9 ฿1,785

7.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.18 ฿39.70

208.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.17 ฿5.79

1000.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.51 $30.51

$1.81 ฿61.1

1585.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.47 ฿49.69

-34.69%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

41.05%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-13.28%

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

$200 $200

$62.6 ฿2,111

219.45%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$11.60 ฿392

400.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$20.30 ฿685

238.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 $41.12

$37.88 ฿1,278

8.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$6.51 ฿220

135.02%

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

$1,216 $1,216

$727 ฿24.5K

67.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

39.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$53.5 ฿1,807

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.71 $41.71

$24.80 ฿837

68.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$90.4 ฿3,050

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$72.0 ฿2,428

60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$481 ฿16.2K

228.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$310 ฿10.5K

318.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,585 $2,585

$1,058 ฿35.7K

144.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$659 ฿22.2K

214.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,620 $2,620

$2,418 ฿81.6K

8.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,145 $2,145

$1,609 ฿54.3K

33.35%

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 Belton, SC: October 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belton, SC

$1.3K 49.4%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 76.1% $986

Groceries & Markets

Belton, SC

$395 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 40.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belton, SC

$327 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 71.1% $232

Eating Out

Belton, SC

$322 12.3%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 76.3% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Belton, SC

$135 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 19.5% $26

Getting Around

Belton, SC

$77 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 23.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Belton, SC

$72 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 29% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,582 in Belton, SC and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Belton, SC vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $237 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Belton, SC

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

19:57 7:57 PM

12 h ahead of Belton, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,054

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belton, SC Chiang Mai 14,090 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Belton, SC
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

Belton, SC vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,935 in Belton, SC and $1,403 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: $1,582 in Belton, SC versus $481 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 $76 in Belton, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,623 per month in Belton, SC versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai is about 64% 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Belton, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.