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: $1,776 in Besancon versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,563 in Besancon versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,350 in Besancon versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Besancon is roughly 91% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Besancon is 30% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 €14.96

$2.08 ฿69.5

725.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 €50.1

$19.61 ฿655

193.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.98

$5.67 ฿189

101.94%

Cappuccino

$3.18 €2.77

$1.81 ฿60.3

75.69%

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

$2.36 €2.06

$0.77 ฿25.65

206.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$0.35 ฿11.53

374.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 €5.90

$2.21 ฿73.9

205.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.18

$3.79 ฿127

56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.20

$2.05 ฿68.4

-33.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.51 ฿50.6

11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.40 ฿46.69

55.71%

Eggs

$4.61 €4.02

$2.26 ฿75.4

103.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.99 €18.29

$16.19 ฿540

29.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 €9.92

$2.90 ฿96.7

292.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.54 €16.16

$9.42 ฿314

96.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$2.68 ฿89.4

2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.97

$1.09 ฿36.37

107.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 €2.48

$1.62 ฿54.0

75.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.33

$1.46 ฿48.74

83.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.28 ฿42.65

98.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.06 ฿35.31

133.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.24

$0.72 ฿23.94

97.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.05

$0.53 ฿17.56

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.41

$4.23 ฿141

236.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.06 €8.77

$18.29 ฿611

-45.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.04 €4.40

$1.63 ฿54.4

209.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.96

$2.90 ฿96.8

17.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.88 ฿29.32

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 €39.75

$53.8 ฿1,795

-15.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 €2.76

$1.17 ฿39.14

170.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 €1.90

$0.58 ฿19.30

275.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.81 €26.86

$2.39 ฿79.6

1189.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.45 ฿48.41

41.38%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

73.03%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

37.80%

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

$174 €152

$63.7 ฿2,125

173.10%

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

$14.93 €13.01

$12.89 ฿430

15.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.32 €30.79

$20.52 ฿685

72.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 €32.07

$39.02 ฿1,302

-5.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.83 €17.28

$3.92 ฿131

405.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 €10.13

$6.58 ฿220

76.60%

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

$342 €298

$784 ฿26.2K

-56.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,365 €6,420

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-49.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €87.4

$55.1 ฿1,840

81.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.74

$24.74 ฿826

65.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 €82.1

$94.1 ฿3,142

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €110

$74.0 ฿2,469

70.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 €544

$490 ฿16.4K

27.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 €541

$288 ฿9,620

115.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €889

$891 ฿29.8K

14.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 €739

$521 ฿17.4K

62.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,913 €2,539

$1,974 ฿65.9K

47.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,374 €2,070

$1,444 ฿48.2K

64.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,242 €1,954

$602 ฿20.1K

272.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.57

-35.01%

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

Last update for Besancon: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $624 in Besancon and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Besancon pays 273% 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: $57.0 in Besancon vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $241 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 91% 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.

Average pay runs 273% higher in Besancon, 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: $624 in Besancon versus $490 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 18% less than in Besancon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $342 in Besancon versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,776 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 $932 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 91% less than in Besancon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.