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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,503 in Biella versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,324 in Biella versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Biella versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Biella is roughly 61% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biella is 10% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.38

$2.08 ฿69.2

749.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €59.5

$19.61 ฿652

248.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.75

$5.67 ฿189

97.35%

Cappuccino

$1.89 €1.65

$1.81 ฿60.0

4.42%

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

$3.11 €2.71

$0.77 ฿25.55

303.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$0.35 ฿11.48

297.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 €4.48

$2.21 ฿73.6

132.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €4.04

$3.79 ฿126

22.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.05 ฿68.1

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.51 ฿50.4

51.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.66

$1.40 ฿46.51

118.57%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.40

$2.26 ฿75.1

72.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.75

$16.19 ฿538

-9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.28

$2.90 ฿96.3

227.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.76 €18.96

$9.42 ฿313

131.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.76

$2.68 ฿89.1

18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.09 ฿36.23

106.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.62 ฿53.8

21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 €4.25

$1.46 ฿48.55

233.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.28 ฿42.48

50.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.06 ฿35.17

75.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.72 ฿23.85

115.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 €0.32

$0.53 ฿17.49

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.03 €6.13

$4.23 ฿141

66.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.13 €6.21

$18.29 ฿608

-61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.63 ฿54.2

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.90 ฿96.5

-8.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.75

$0.88 ฿29.20

128.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.32 €33.39

$53.8 ฿1,788

-28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$14.98 €13.05

$1.17 ฿38.99

1180.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.58 ฿19.22

193.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.80 €25.96

$2.39 ฿79.3

1146.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.45 ฿48.22

39.31%

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

$37.8K €32.9K

$21.0K ฿698.6K

79.76%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$26.4K ฿878.6K

35.46%

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

$200 €174

$63.7 ฿2,116

214.03%

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

$8.29 €7.22

$12.89 ฿429

-35.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.30 €24.66

$20.52 ฿682

37.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.9 €60.9

$39.02 ฿1,297

79.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 €21.97

$3.92 ฿130

543.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €7.86

$6.58 ฿219

37.08%

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

$721 €628

$784 ฿26.1K

-8.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,122

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-28.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 €76.5

$55.1 ฿1,833

59.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 €37.17

$24.74 ฿823

72.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €75.5

$94.1 ฿3,130

-7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$74.0 ฿2,459

53.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 €371

$490 ฿16.3K

-13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 €325

$288 ฿9,582

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 €616

$891 ฿29.6K

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €504

$521 ฿17.3K

10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,707 €1,487

$1,974 ฿65.6K

-13.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$898 €783

$1,444 ฿48.0K

-37.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,926 €1,678

$602 ฿20.0K

220.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.57

-38.96%

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

Last update for Biella: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Biella and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 220% 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: $68.0 in Biella vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $241 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

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

Biella and Chiang Mai differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,503 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 220% higher in Biella, 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: $426 in Biella versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Biella versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,503 in Biella, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Biella. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Biella 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 61% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.