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: $1,796 in Bethune versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,740 in Bethune versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,684 in Bethune versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bethune is roughly 111% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bethune is 35% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.40

$2.04 ฿68.4

766.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.7

$18.71 ฿626

272.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €12.00

$7.86 ฿263

75.06%

Cappuccino

$3.29 €2.87

$2.03 ฿67.9

62.07%

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

$2.94 €2.56

$0.80 ฿26.71

267.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$0.35 ฿11.71

454.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 €6.08

$2.14 ฿71.7

225.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.10

$3.67 ฿123

59.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.73 ฿57.8

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.57 ฿52.5

14.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$1.20 ฿40.10

141.67%

Eggs

$3.92 €3.42

$1.97 ฿66.0

98.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.55 €19.66

$16.23 ฿543

38.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 €11.28

$3.06 ฿102

322.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.90 €20.84

$10.80 ฿361

121.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.66

$2.77 ฿92.6

10.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.17 ฿39.05

94.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.13

$1.71 ฿57.1

43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 €2.83

$1.59 ฿53.3

103.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.39 ฿46.63

43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.16 ฿38.67

83.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.27

$0.66 ฿22.11

121.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.52 ฿17.35

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 €11.72

$4.65 ฿155

189.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.99

$17.78 ฿595

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.79 ฿59.8

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$3.34 ฿112

-20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 €1.62

$0.91 ฿30.35

104.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 €44.75

$18.64 ฿624

175.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.41 ฿47.17

68.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.34 ฿44.82

34.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 €34.47

$8.11 ฿271

387.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.23 ฿41.27

66.67%

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

$37.8K €33.0K

$21.4K ฿717.0K

76.38%

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

$37.5K €32.7K

$21.8K ฿730.0K

71.83%

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

$186 €162

$71.3 ฿2,386

160.34%

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

$23.58 €20.56

$14.01 ฿469

68.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.71 €25.90

$17.93 ฿600

65.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 €32.33

$40.82 ฿1,365

-9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.29 €15.94

$6.88 ฿230

165.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 €8.99

$5.72 ฿191

80.24%

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

$572 €498

$308 ฿10.3K

85.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,566 €7,467

$14.7K ฿491.0K

-41.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €77.9

$55.8 ฿1,865

60.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.21 €32.44

$26.04 ฿871

42.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 €68.9

$84.8 ฿2,837

-6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 €86.2

$71.0 ฿2,375

39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €675

$423 ฿14.2K

82.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €539

$242 ฿8,110

155.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 €1,190

$797 ฿26.7K

71.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €941

$507 ฿17.0K

113.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,456 €3,885

$1,918 ฿64.2K

132.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,004 €2,619

$1,464 ฿49.0K

105.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,695 €3,221

$595 ฿19.9K

520.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

-26.20%

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

Last update for Bethune: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Bethune and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bethune pays 521% 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: $70.0 in Bethune vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $244 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 111% 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 521% 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: $774 in Bethune versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $572 in Bethune versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Bethune. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,796 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 $852 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 111% less than in Bethune. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.