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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,192 in Bhisho versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Bhisho versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,544 in Bhisho versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bhisho is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhisho 13% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.32 R 185

$2.08 ฿69.5

444.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.45 R 712

$19.61 ฿655

121.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$5.67 ฿189

8.47%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.63

$1.81 ฿60.3

23.76%

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

$1.09 R 17.81

$0.77 ฿25.65

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 13.13

$0.35 ฿11.53

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 R 45.51

$2.21 ฿73.9

25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 R 54.8

$3.79 ฿127

-11.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.17

$2.05 ฿68.4

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.66

$1.51 ฿50.6

-28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.54

$1.40 ฿46.69

7.14%

Eggs

$2.91 R 47.60

$2.26 ฿75.4

28.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 R 147

$16.19 ฿540

-44.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R 88.8

$2.90 ฿96.7

86.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 R 141

$9.42 ฿314

-8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 R 35.98

$2.68 ฿89.4

-17.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.90

$1.09 ฿36.37

44.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.36

$1.62 ฿54.0

6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.26

$1.46 ฿48.74

26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.41

$1.28 ฿42.65

40.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.36

$1.06 ฿35.31

34.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.83

$0.72 ฿23.94

76.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R 16.75

$0.53 ฿17.56

92.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R 55.0

$4.23 ฿141

-20.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 R 80.6

$18.29 ฿611

-73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.61

$1.63 ฿54.4

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 R 30.32

$2.90 ฿96.8

-36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.87

$0.88 ฿29.32

72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.05 R 410

$53.8 ฿1,795

-53.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.60

$1.17 ฿39.14

-44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.51

$0.58 ฿19.30

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 R 143

$2.39 ฿79.6

264.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.28

$1.45 ฿48.41

2.07%

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

$36.5K R 597.1K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

73.50%

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

$34.8K R 569.7K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

31.64%

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

$126 R 2,071

$63.7 ฿2,125

98.62%

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

$36.02 R 590

$12.89 ฿430

179.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.52 R 762

$20.52 ฿685

126.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.77 R 553

$39.02 ฿1,302

-13.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.62 R 207

$3.92 ฿131

221.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 R 177

$6.58 ฿220

64.59%

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

$187 R 3,065

$784 ฿26.2K

-76.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,217 R 101.8K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 R 1,205

$55.1 ฿1,840

33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.70 R 634

$24.74 ฿826

56.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 R 1,921

$94.1 ฿3,142

24.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 R 1,641

$74.0 ฿2,469

35.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 R 6,969

$490 ฿16.4K

-13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 R 6,111

$288 ฿9,620

29.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$787 R 12.9K

$891 ฿29.8K

-11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 R 12.7K

$521 ฿17.4K

49.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$878 R 14.4K

$1,974 ฿65.9K

-55.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$694 R 11.4K

$1,444 ฿48.2K

-51.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,383 R 55.4K

$602 ฿20.1K

462.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

5.57

114.36%

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

Last update for Bhisho: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Bhisho and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 462% 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: $43.00 in Bhisho vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $202 vs $241, with Bhisho cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Bhisho. 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 462% higher in Bhisho, 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: $425 in Bhisho versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $187 in Bhisho versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bhisho pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,192 in Bhisho, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bhisho. 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, Bhisho 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 28% less than in Bhisho. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.