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: $1,044 in Bhisho versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,605 in Bhisho versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,166 in Bhisho versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bhisho is roughly 22% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhisho 22% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 R 142

$2.04 ฿68.2

321.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.70 R 555

$18.71 ฿624

80.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 R 82.5

$7.86 ฿262

-36.26%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R 33.54

$2.03 ฿67.7

0.49%

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

$0.98 R 16.21

$0.80 ฿26.64

22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.49

$0.35 ฿11.68

134.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R 36.26

$2.14 ฿71.5

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 R 42.05

$3.67 ฿122

-30.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.27

$1.73 ฿57.6

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.34

$1.57 ฿52.4

-33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.91

$1.20 ฿39.99

30.83%

Eggs

$2.39 R 39.28

$1.97 ฿65.8

21.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 R 124

$16.23 ฿541

-53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 R 76.5

$3.06 ฿102

51.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 R 112

$10.80 ฿360

-37.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.33

$2.77 ฿92.3

-40.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$1.17 ฿38.94

24.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.25

$1.71 ฿57.0

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 27.15

$1.59 ฿53.2

3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.48

$1.39 ฿46.51

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.42

$1.16 ฿38.56

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.28

$0.66 ฿22.05

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.00

$0.52 ฿17.31

86.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.78 R 45.79

$4.65 ฿155

-40.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 R 80.7

$17.78 ฿593

-72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.57

$1.79 ฿59.6

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.37

$3.34 ฿111

-48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 26.42

$0.91 ฿30.27

75.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.46 R 370

$18.64 ฿622

20.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.69

$1.41 ฿47.04

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.67

$1.34 ฿44.70

-29.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 R 65.6

$8.11 ฿270

-50.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.20

$1.23 ฿41.16

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

$21.5K R 353.6K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

0.21%

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

$23.8K R 391.0K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

8.83%

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

$120 R 1,980

$71.3 ฿2,379

68.65%

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

$34.88 R 574

$14.01 ฿467

148.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.67 R 686

$17.93 ฿598

132.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.63 R 521

$40.82 ฿1,362

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 R 182

$6.88 ฿230

60.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 R 109

$5.72 ฿191

15.56%

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

$197 R 3,245

$308 ฿10.3K

-36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,416 R 72.7K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-69.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R 843

$55.8 ฿1,860

-8.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.44 R 534

$26.04 ฿869

24.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 R 1,431

$84.8 ฿2,829

2.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 R 1,335

$71.0 ฿2,368

14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,029

$423 ฿14.1K

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R 5,555

$242 ฿8,088

39.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 R 11.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 R 11.6K

$507 ฿16.9K

38.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$889 R 14.6K

$1,918 ฿64.0K

-53.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$652 R 10.7K

$1,464 ฿48.8K

-55.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,224 R 53.1K

$595 ฿19.9K

441.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

130.20%

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

Last update for Bhisho: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Bhisho and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 442% 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: $34.00 in Bhisho vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $244, 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 22% 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 442% 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: $366 in Bhisho versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Bhisho versus $308 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 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chiang Mai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, 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 22% less than in Bhisho. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.