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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,850 in Bethune versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,831 in Bethune versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,811 in Bethune versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bethune is roughly 95% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bethune is 34% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.96 €16.35

$2.10 ฿69.4

802.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 €65.1

$19.84 ฿656

280.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.97 €12.04

$5.79 ฿192

141.28%

Cappuccino

$3.41 €2.94

$1.83 ฿60.5

86.34%

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

$2.88 €2.48

$0.78 ฿25.63

269.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.31 ฿10.38

480.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 €6.06

$2.34 ฿77.3

200.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.14

$3.70 ฿122

61.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.03 ฿67.1

-32.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.60 ฿52.8

21.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 €2.55

$1.42 ฿46.80

107.75%

Eggs

$4.35 €3.75

$2.18 ฿72.0

99.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.74 €19.61

$15.91 ฿526

42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 €11.56

$3.07 ฿102

336.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.65 €20.39

$9.87 ฿326

139.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.64

$2.63 ฿86.9

16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.10 ฿36.23

107.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$1.63 ฿53.9

49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.53 ฿50.6

113.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.24 ฿41.16

54.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.13 ฿37.40

82.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.74 ฿24.41

105.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.50 ฿16.50

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.59 €12.58

$4.28 ฿142

240.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.19

$17.97 ฿594

-53.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.70 ฿56.2

7.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.90 ฿95.8

-7.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.64

$0.94 ฿31.15

103.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 €45.25

$55.3 ฿1,828

-5.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.23 ฿40.80

94.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €1.96

$0.53 ฿17.67

328.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 €21.29

$2.40 ฿79.4

928.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.44 ฿47.60

47.22%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$21.2K ฿700.9K

71.25%

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

$36.6K €31.6K

$27.3K ฿903.0K

34.15%

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

$186 €161

$64.9 ฿2,147

186.96%

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

$15.90 €13.71

$13.35 ฿442

19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.89 €27.50

$20.83 ฿689

53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 €32.29

$40.42 ฿1,337

-7.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 €14.79

$3.95 ฿131

334.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 €8.85

$6.71 ฿222

53.06%

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

$639 €551

$787 ฿26.0K

-18.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,556 €7,378

$15.1K ฿500.1K

-43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 €79.0

$56.2 ฿1,859

62.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.54

$24.95 ฿825

60.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 €67.4

$92.7 ฿3,066

-15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.8

$75.1 ฿2,484

34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 €681

$484 ฿16.0K

63.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 €546

$287 ฿9,500

120.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,244

$910 ฿30.1K

58.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 €993

$531 ฿17.5K

117.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 €3,555

$1,980 ฿65.5K

108.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,171 €2,735

$1,451 ฿48.0K

118.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,806 €3,281

$605 ฿20.0K

528.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

5.57

-29.62%

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

Last update for Bethune: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Bethune and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 529% 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: $76.0 in Bethune vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Bethune. 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 529% higher in Bethune, 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: $790 in Bethune versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $639 in Bethune versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Bethune. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $1,850 in Bethune, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bethune. 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 $950 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bethune 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 95% less than in Bethune. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.