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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,963 in Bensheim versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,054 in Bensheim versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,146 in Bensheim versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bensheim is roughly 130% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bensheim is 47% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €11.91

$1.96 ฿63.6

611.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 €72.8

$18.81 ฿611

353.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 €10.30

$7.92 ฿258

52.27%

Cappuccino

$3.79 €3.24

$1.91 ฿62.2

98.43%

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

$3.13 €2.67

$0.84 ฿27.25

272.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$0.35 ฿11.44

734.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 €4.35

$2.21 ฿71.7

130.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.94

$3.80 ฿124

21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.64 ฿53.2

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €1.97

$1.62 ฿52.8

41.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 €2.71

$1.18 ฿38.40

169.49%

Eggs

$3.97 €3.39

$2.01 ฿65.4

97.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.54

$15.89 ฿517

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €11.87

$3.01 ฿98.0

361.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.05 €17.12

$10.77 ฿350

86.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.63

$2.61 ฿85.0

18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.22 ฿39.65

52.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.70 ฿55.4

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 €4.48

$1.58 ฿51.2

231.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.32 ฿42.89

17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.17 ฿38.01

24.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.67 ฿21.85

179.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.56 ฿18.21

98.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 €8.16

$4.53 ฿147

110.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 €5.14

$18.20 ฿592

-66.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.83 ฿59.6

-43.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$3.23 ฿105

-47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 €3.02

$0.89 ฿28.83

297.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 €53.4

$19.38 ฿630

222.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €4.80

$1.35 ฿43.95

316.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.87

$1.35 ฿43.79

62.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.15 €30.01

$8.25 ฿268

326.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.27 ฿41.40

59.84%

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

$31.8K €27.1K

$21.2K ฿687.8K

50.15%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$22.5K ฿731.0K

67.49%

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

$347 €296

$70.2 ฿2,281

394.47%

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

$25.12 €21.46

$13.77 ฿448

82.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.67

$17.60 ฿572

190.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.19 €33.46

$41.57 ฿1,352

-5.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 €19.87

$6.60 ฿215

252.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.62 €12.48

$5.78 ฿188

152.94%

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

$524 €447

$306 ฿9,953

71.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,406 €5,470

$14.8K ฿482.0K

-56.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 €63.4

$54.4 ฿1,768

36.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 €31.68

$26.14 ฿850

41.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$84.5 ฿2,748

23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$69.4 ฿2,257

83.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 €725

$424 ฿13.8K

100.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 €557

$238 ฿7,743

173.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,331

$825 ฿26.8K

88.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 €1,067

$515 ฿16.7K

142.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,110 €4,364

$2,049 ฿66.6K

149.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 €3,039

$1,523 ฿49.5K

133.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,773 €4,076

$635 ฿20.6K

651.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

-30.60%

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

Last update for Bensheim: April 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $849 in Bensheim and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 651% 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: $85.0 in Bensheim vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bensheim and Chiang Mai differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($1,963 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bensheim pays 651% more on average, 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: $849 in Bensheim versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $524 in Bensheim versus $306 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Bensheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,963 in Bensheim, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bensheim. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bensheim 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 130% less than in Bensheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.