Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergamo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,600 in Bergamo, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bergamo
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,600
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Bergamo versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bergamo $1,600
  • Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,468 in Bergamo versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bergamo $2,468
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,337 in Bergamo versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bergamo $3,337
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Bergamo is roughly 70% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergamo is 19% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.55 €13.83
$2.26 ฿75.4
588.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.5 €73.3
$19.18 ฿641
329.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 €9.91
$5.59 ฿187
99.28%
Cappuccino
$1.87 €1.67
$1.72 ฿57.6
8.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.30 €2.93
$0.64 ฿21.54
415.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$0.33 ฿11.18
300.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 €5.09
$2.36 ฿78.7
142.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 €5.08
$3.90 ฿130
46.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 €1.24
$2.05 ฿68.6
-31.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.40 ฿46.70
45.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.07 €2.73
$1.28 ฿42.89
139.84%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.24
$2.25 ฿75.3
62.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.14 €13.46
$16.94 ฿566
-10.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.43 €10.17
$2.74 ฿91.6
317.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.08 €14.30
$9.36 ฿313
71.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.40 ฿80.3
-5.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.01 ฿33.92
61.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.61 ฿53.9
40.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.61 €2.32
$1.52 ฿50.7
71.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.28 ฿42.90
35.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.11 ฿37.22
93.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.72 ฿24.09
156.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 €0.43
$0.52 ฿17.54
-7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.35 €6.54
$4.33 ฿145
69.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.21 €3.74
$17.73 ฿593
-76.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 €1.10
$1.63 ฿54.4
-24.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 €1.58
$2.85 ฿95.3
-37.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.87 €1.66
$0.85 ฿28.31
120.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.04 €40.06
$53.9 ฿1,801
-16.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.13 €9.01
$1.17 ฿39.18
765.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 €1.93
$0.57 ฿19.00
280.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.74 €35.34
$2.37 ฿79.2
1576.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 €1.78
$1.45 ฿48.32
37.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K €32.0K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
75.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9K €31.0K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
31.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 €170
$62.3 ฿2,083
207.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.79 €7.82
$12.27 ฿410
-28.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.88 €24.79
$19.97 ฿668
39.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.89 €29.25
$37.91 ฿1,267
-13.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.56 €20.06
$3.76 ฿126
500.00%
Cinema Ticket
$10.95 €9.74
$6.71 ฿224
63.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$563 €500
$797 ฿26.6K
-29.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.6K €12.1K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-8.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.7 €63.7
$53.3 ฿1,780
34.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.80 €28.29
$25.05 ฿837
26.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.5 €78.7
$91.6 ฿3,062
-3.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €93.9
$73.5 ฿2,455
43.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$740 €658
$464 ฿15.5K
59.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$574 €511
$305 ฿10.2K
88.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,383 €1,230
$915 ฿30.6K
51.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$926 €824
$552 ฿18.5K
67.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,442 €3,061
$1,912 ฿63.9K
80.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,518 €2,240
$1,438 ฿48.1K
75.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergamo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,412 €2,145
$595 ฿19.9K
305.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.05
5.57
-45.24%

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

Last update for Bergamo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergamo
$574
Chiang Mai
$305 47% $270
Groceries & Markets
Bergamo
$296
Chiang Mai
$238 19.6% $58
Eating Out
Bergamo
$239
Chiang Mai
$79 66.9% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergamo
$228
Chiang Mai
$95 58.6% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Bergamo
$134
Chiang Mai
$110 18.2% $24
Getting Around
Bergamo
$74
Chiang Mai
$61 16.6% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Bergamo
$55
Chiang Mai
$51 6.3% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Bergamo and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergamo pays 305% 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: $82.0 in Bergamo vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Bergamo
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
19:27 7:27 PM
00:27 12:27 AM
5 h ahead of Bergamo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
120,569
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergamo Chiang Mai 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bergamo
  • 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
Bergamo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bergamo and in Chiang Mai?
Bergamo and Chiang Mai differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,600 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bergamo or Chiang Mai?
Average pay runs 305% higher in Bergamo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Bergamo and in Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $740 in Bergamo versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $82.0 in Bergamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bergamo or Chiang Mai?
All in, you'll spend $1,600 per month in Bergamo versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,600 in Bergamo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bergamo. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bergamo and Chiang Mai?
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.
Is Bergamo or Chiang Mai safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bergamo 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.
Where should expats move: Bergamo or Chiang Mai?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Bergamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bergamo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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