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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Berat vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,712 per month in Berat vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,272 per month in Berat vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Berat costs about 35% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Berat and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Berat 14% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 ALL 961

$2.04 ฿68.4

475.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.42 ALL 2,739

$18.71 ฿626

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.36 ALL 685

$7.86 ฿263

6.36%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ALL 143

$2.03 ฿67.9

-14.29%

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

$1.79 ALL 147

$0.80 ฿26.71

123.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ALL 80.4

$0.35 ฿11.71

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 ALL 208

$2.14 ฿71.7

18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 ALL 292

$3.67 ฿123

-3.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ALL 156

$1.73 ฿57.8

10.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ALL 92.9

$1.57 ฿52.5

-28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ALL 181

$1.20 ฿40.10

84.17%

Eggs

$3.02 ALL 247

$1.97 ฿66.0

53.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 ALL 873

$16.23 ฿543

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 ALL 652

$3.06 ฿102

160.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 ALL 1,276

$10.80 ฿361

44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ALL 141

$2.77 ฿92.6

-37.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ALL 188

$1.17 ฿39.05

95.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ALL 127

$1.71 ฿57.1

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ALL 115

$1.59 ฿53.3

-11.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ALL 78.9

$1.39 ฿46.63

-30.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.6

$1.16 ฿38.67

-0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ALL 69.7

$0.66 ฿22.11

28.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ALL 60.9

$0.52 ฿17.35

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 ALL 342

$4.65 ฿155

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 ALL 911

$17.78 ฿595

-37.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ALL 99.0

$1.79 ฿59.8

-32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ALL 117

$3.34 ฿112

-57.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ALL 29.76

$0.91 ฿30.35

-60.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.52 ALL 1,517

$18.64 ฿624

-0.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ALL 292

$1.41 ฿47.17

152.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ALL 265

$1.34 ฿44.82

141.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 ALL 1,452

$8.11 ฿271

118.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 ALL 167

$1.23 ฿41.27

65.85%

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

$40.8K ALL 3.3M

$21.4K ฿717.0K

90.42%

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

$35.5K ALL 2.9M

$21.8K ฿730.0K

62.71%

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

$82.8 ALL 6,783

$71.3 ฿2,386

16.04%

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

$17.95 ALL 1,471

$14.01 ฿469

28.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.76 ALL 1,537

$17.93 ฿600

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ALL 4,543

$40.82 ฿1,365

35.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.37 ALL 2,079

$6.88 ฿230

268.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 ALL 762

$5.72 ฿191

62.59%

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

$159 ALL 13.0K

$308 ฿10.3K

-48.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,737 ALL 142.4K

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-88.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 ALL 5,500

$55.8 ฿1,865

20.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.96 ALL 4,095

$26.04 ฿871

91.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ALL 8,810

$84.8 ฿2,837

26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ALL 10.8K

$71.0 ฿2,375

85.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ALL 36.8K

$423 ฿14.2K

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ALL 27.7K

$242 ฿8,110

39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ALL 51.1K

$797 ฿26.7K

-21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 ALL 35.3K

$507 ฿17.0K

-14.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,838 ALL 150.6K

$1,918 ฿64.2K

-4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 ALL 100.2K

$1,464 ฿49.0K

-16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ALL 40.4K

$595 ฿19.9K

-17.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

10.40%

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

Last update for Berat: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $449 in Berat versus $423 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 21% higher in Chiang Mai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Berat versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $244 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Berat is pricier by about 35%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,727 per month in Berat and $1,279 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.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Berat, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Berat and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Berat at $1,151. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Berat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.