Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,593 in Bethlehem, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem
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Bethlehem Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bethlehem

🇵🇸 Palestine

$1,593

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,593 per month in Bethlehem vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bethlehem $1,593
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,473 per month in Bethlehem vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bethlehem $2,473
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,353 per month in Bethlehem vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bethlehem $3,353
Chiang Mai $1,979

Bethlehem costs about 70% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bethlehem sits 17% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.16 ₪34.76

$2.24 ฿75.7

398.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.06 ₪153

$19.00 ฿642

158.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 ₪43.34

$5.55 ฿188

150.63%

Cappuccino

$4.48 ₪13.96

$1.67 ฿56.6

168.26%

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

$1.32 ₪4.11

$0.64 ฿21.56

106.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₪3.15

$0.31 ฿10.32

225.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 ₪19.14

$2.36 ฿79.6

160.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 ₪25.51

$3.66 ฿124

123.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₪6.21

$1.95 ฿65.8

2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ₪2.86

$1.44 ฿48.51

-36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₪6.94

$1.33 ฿45.07

67.67%

Eggs

$2.62 ₪8.17

$2.28 ฿77.1

14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 ₪33.31

$16.45 ฿556

-35.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 ₪30.52

$2.78 ฿94.0

252.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 ₪63.6

$9.31 ฿314

119.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ₪11.43

$2.35 ฿79.5

56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ₪6.38

$0.97 ฿32.82

111.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ₪4.94

$1.60 ฿53.9

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 ₪7.35

$1.50 ฿50.7

57.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ₪4.67

$1.28 ฿43.15

17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 ₪4.95

$1.10 ฿37.22

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 ₪5.10

$0.71 ฿23.84

130.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₪3.10

$0.49 ฿16.38

104.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 ₪31.20

$4.14 ฿140

142.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 ₪45.10

$17.52 ฿592

-17.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₪6.92

$1.61 ฿54.5

37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₪6.91

$2.78 ฿94.0

-20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 ₪7.61

$0.87 ฿29.33

180.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 ₪447

$54.1 ฿1,827

165.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 ₪9.92

$1.16 ฿39.08

174.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 ₪10.37

$0.53 ฿17.82

528.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 ₪9.97

$2.42 ฿81.8

32.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 ₪7.37

$1.45 ฿48.93

63.45%

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

$40.9K ₪127.4K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

94.26%

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

$48.3K ₪150.4K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

79.18%

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

$195 ₪609

$62.2 ฿2,100

214.35%

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

$39.21 ₪122

$12.17 ฿411

222.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.23 ₪100

$20.12 ฿680

60.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₪205

$37.31 ฿1,260

76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.15 ₪100

$3.77 ฿127

752.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 ₪25.90

$6.49 ฿219

28.20%

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

$98.8 ₪308

$736 ฿24.9K

-86.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,843 ₪30.7K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-33.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.10 ₪153

$53.4 ฿1,802

-8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.0 ₪302

$24.64 ฿832

293.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 ₪349

$91.5 ฿3,089

22.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₪511

$71.9 ฿2,429

128.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₪1,497

$482 ฿16.3K

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ₪1,024

$309 ฿10.4K

6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ₪2,788

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-11.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 ₪1,991

$633 ฿21.4K

0.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,618 ₪5,040

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-31.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 ₪3,505

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-29.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,304 ₪4,063

$590 ฿19.9K

121.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Bethlehem: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem

$329 20.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 6.1% $20

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem

$310 19.5%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 24.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem

$267 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.6% $172

Eating Out

Bethlehem

$241 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 67.8% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem

$190 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 42.8% $81

Getting Around

Bethlehem

$173 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 64.6% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem

$82 5.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 39% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Bethlehem versus $482 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 in Bethlehem are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Bethlehem versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇸 Bethlehem

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

5 h ahead of Bethlehem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,019

127,240

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.47 ILS (1 ILS = 0.288 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bethlehem Chiang Mai 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem
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

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

Yes – Bethlehem is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,389 per month in Bethlehem and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Bethlehem and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,593 in Bethlehem and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 41% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,593 in Bethlehem and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,593 in Bethlehem. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethlehem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.