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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,545 in Besancon versus $848 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,340 in Besancon versus $1,331 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,134 in Besancon versus $1,814 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Besancon is roughly 82% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Besancon is 16% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.21

$1.96 ฿63.6

741.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 €43.90

$18.39 ฿598

177.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 €8.52

$7.87 ฿256

25.67%

Cappuccino

$3.51 €3.02

$1.95 ฿63.4

80.00%

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

$2.28 €1.96

$0.85 ฿27.57

168.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.32 ฿10.52

256.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 €5.84

$2.14 ฿69.6

217.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.01

$3.68 ฿120

26.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.66 ฿53.9

-35.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.56 ฿50.7

8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.19 ฿38.63

62.18%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.27

$1.99 ฿64.7

90.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 €14.98

$16.24 ฿528

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 €10.30

$3.17 ฿103

277.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 €13.98

$10.84 ฿352

49.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.42

$2.65 ฿86.2

6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.22 ฿39.67

70.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.65 ฿53.7

36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.55 ฿50.3

56.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.33 ฿43.17

69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.21 ฿39.43

87.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.68 ฿22.04

119.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.57 ฿18.38

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.26

$4.68 ฿152

204.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 €8.65

$16.99 ฿552

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.82 ฿59.3

39.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.18 ฿103

-45.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 €1.57

$0.91 ฿29.46

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.91 €42.98

$18.74 ฿609

166.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.41 ฿45.80

128.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.34 ฿43.52

32.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.57 €29.77

$8.14 ฿265

324.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.28 ฿41.53

60.94%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$21.8K ฿709.3K

71.91%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.4K ฿728.0K

74.06%

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

$118 €102

$70.5 ฿2,291

67.38%

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

$17.04 €14.67

$14.05 ฿457

21.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.72 €31.62

$17.65 ฿574

108.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 €32.68

$41.29 ฿1,342

-8.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.83 €24.83

$6.76 ฿220

326.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 €8.87

$5.96 ฿194

72.82%

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

$344 €296

$303 ฿9,846

13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,172 €7,037

$15.0K ฿486.2K

-45.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 €53.5

$54.7 ฿1,778

13.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.01 €19.81

$26.29 ฿854

-12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 €76.3

$85.8 ฿2,788

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$69.7 ฿2,265

101.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 €475

$428 ฿13.9K

28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 €429

$239 ฿7,769

108.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €872

$811 ฿26.4K

24.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 €737

$510 ฿16.6K

67.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,035 €2,613

$2,025 ฿65.8K

49.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,495 €2,148

$1,502 ฿48.8K

66.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,204 €1,898

$623 ฿20.2K

254.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

-33.00%

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

Last update for Besancon: June 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Besancon and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 254% 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: $51.0 in Besancon vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $242 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Besancon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Besancon pays 254% 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: $552 in Besancon versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 166% less than in Besancon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $344 in Besancon versus $303 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,545 in Besancon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Besancon. 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 $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Besancon 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 82% less than in Besancon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.