Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biarritz and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,091 in Biarritz, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Biarritz
🇫🇷 France
$2,091
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,091 in Biarritz versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

  • Biarritz $2,091
  • Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Biarritz versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

  • Biarritz $3,371
  • Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,652 in Biarritz versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

  • Biarritz $4,652
  • Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Biarritz is roughly 123% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biarritz is 55% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.87 €17.67
$2.26 ฿75.4
779.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.2 €68.7
$19.18 ฿641
302.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.97 €12.43
$5.59 ฿187
149.91%
Cappuccino
$3.77 €3.36
$1.72 ฿57.6
119.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 €2.54
$0.64 ฿21.54
346.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.33 ฿11.18
336.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.93 €7.05
$2.36 ฿78.7
236.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.63 €5.90
$3.90 ฿130
70.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 €1.05
$2.05 ฿68.6
-42.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.01 €1.79
$1.40 ฿46.70
43.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 €1.97
$1.28 ฿42.89
73.44%
Eggs
$3.65 €3.25
$2.25 ฿75.3
62.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.78 €12.26
$16.94 ฿566
-18.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.93 €14.17
$2.74 ฿91.6
481.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.32 €18.07
$9.36 ฿313
117.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 €2.91
$2.40 ฿80.3
36.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 €1.96
$1.01 ฿33.92
118.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.28 €2.92
$1.61 ฿53.9
103.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 €3.90
$1.52 ฿50.7
188.16%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.28 ฿42.90
70.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.63 €2.34
$1.11 ฿37.22
136.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.72 ฿24.09
90.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 €0.47
$0.52 ฿17.54
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.04 €11.60
$4.33 ฿145
201.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.16 €9.03
$17.73 ฿593
-42.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.89 €3.46
$1.63 ฿54.4
138.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.85 ฿95.3
20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.57 €1.40
$0.85 ฿28.31
84.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.31 €37.64
$53.9 ฿1,801
-21.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.17 ฿39.18
91.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 €1.68
$0.57 ฿19.00
231.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.32 €33.20
$2.37 ฿79.2
1474.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.45 ฿48.32
40.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €30.9K
$20.5K ฿684.3K
69.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €30.1K
$26.5K ฿886.1K
27.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 €193
$62.3 ฿2,083
248.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.24 €13.55
$12.27 ฿410
24.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.33 €27.87
$19.97 ฿668
56.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.9 €64.0
$37.91 ฿1,267
89.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.87 €21.24
$3.76 ฿126
534.84%
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 €8.82
$6.71 ฿224
47.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$782 €695
$797 ฿26.6K
-1.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K €11.9K
$14.8K ฿495.7K
-9.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$118 €105
$53.3 ฿1,780
120.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.28 €39.39
$25.05 ฿837
76.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.1
$91.6 ฿3,062
17.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 €130
$73.5 ฿2,455
99.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$900 €801
$464 ฿15.5K
93.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$800 €711
$305 ฿10.2K
162.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,165 €1,925
$915 ฿30.6K
136.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,737 €1,545
$552 ฿18.5K
214.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.1K €8,987
$1,912 ฿63.9K
428.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,631 €6,788
$1,438 ฿48.1K
430.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Biarritz
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,301 €2,047
$595 ฿19.9K
286.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.7
5.57
-33.57%

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

Last update for Biarritz: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Biarritz
$800
Chiang Mai
$305 61.9% $495
Groceries & Markets
Biarritz
$372
Chiang Mai
$238 36.1% $134
Eating Out
Biarritz
$316
Chiang Mai
$79 75% $237
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biarritz
$264
Chiang Mai
$95 64.1% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Biarritz
$187
Chiang Mai
$110 41.6% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Biarritz
$92
Chiang Mai
$51 44% $40
Getting Around
Biarritz
$60
Chiang Mai
$61 1.7% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Biarritz and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biarritz pays 287% 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: $77.0 in Biarritz vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Biarritz
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
10:49 10:49 AM
15:49 3:49 PM
5 h ahead of Biarritz
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,764
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Biarritz Chiang Mai 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Biarritz
  • 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
Biarritz vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Biarritz and in Chiang Mai?
Biarritz and Chiang Mai differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,091 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Biarritz or Chiang Mai?
Average pay runs 287% higher in Biarritz, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Biarritz and in Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Biarritz versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Biarritz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $77.0 in Biarritz. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,091 in Biarritz, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Biarritz. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Biarritz and Chiang Mai?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Biarritz or Chiang Mai safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Biarritz 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.
Where should expats move: Biarritz or Chiang Mai?
Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Biarritz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Biarritz vs other spots: cost of living compared

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