Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bien Hoa and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bien Hoa: $673 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bien Hoa
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Bien Hoa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bien Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$673

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $673 in Bien Hoa versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Bien Hoa $673
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $924 in Bien Hoa versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Bien Hoa $924
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,175 in Bien Hoa versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Bien Hoa $1,175
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Bien Hoa costs roughly 27% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bien Hoa 50% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$2.29 ฿76.5

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.80 ₫305.5K

$19.64 ฿656

-39.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.3K

$5.61 ฿188

-15.15%

Cappuccino

$1.13 ₫29.3K

$1.66 ฿55.6

-31.93%

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

$0.46 ₫11.8K

$0.70 ฿23.40

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₫5,960

$0.31 ฿10.24

-25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$2.41 ฿80.4

-76.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₫20.5K

$3.71 ฿124

-78.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₫32.9K

$1.95 ฿65.3

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₫20.5K

$1.41 ฿47.03

-43.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.31 ฿43.62

-32.82%

Eggs

$1.38 ₫35.7K

$2.18 ฿72.9

-36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 ₫315.0K

$16.65 ฿556

-26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.95 ₫50.6K

$2.76 ฿92.2

-29.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 ₫252.6K

$9.11 ฿304

7.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₫56.5K

$2.39 ฿80.0

-8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$1.03 ฿34.26

26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$1.63 ฿54.4

-30.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$1.50 ฿50.0

-38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.3K

$1.29 ฿43.13

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.11 ฿37.03

7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₫11.3K

$0.72 ฿24.08

-40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫12.8K

$0.53 ฿17.59

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$4.31 ฿144

-70.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₫194.0K

$17.95 ฿600

-58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₫10.3K

$1.58 ฿52.9

-74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$2.84 ฿95.0

-73.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₫8,132

$0.86 ฿28.86

-63.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.54 ₫169.4K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-87.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 ₫12.4K

$1.21 ฿40.29

-60.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 ฿18.99

-1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$2.35 ฿78.6

-49.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.44 ฿47.96

-40.97%

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

$31.1K ₫805.7M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

50.13%

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

$29.5K ₫763.1M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

9.98%

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

$50.6 ₫1.3M

$62.3 ฿2,083

-18.87%

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

$4.35 ₫112.5K

$12.11 ฿405

-64.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.53 ₫169.0K

$19.94 ฿666

-67.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.82 ₫280.2K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-70.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.91 ₫204.7K

$3.78 ฿126

109.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 ₫86.8K

$6.50 ฿217

-48.46%

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

$67.8 ₫1.8M

$793 ฿26.5K

-91.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₫375.6M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.21 ₫393.7K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-71.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.37 ₫397.8K

$24.62 ฿823

-37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₫1.7M

$90.9 ฿3,036

-26.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 ₫2.5M

$71.1 ฿2,378

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ₫10.7M

$455 ฿15.2K

-8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₫7.3M

$298 ฿9,954

-5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 ₫10.9M

$908 ฿30.4K

-53.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₫7.9M

$554 ฿18.5K

-44.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 ₫57.7M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

15.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 ₫32.0M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-14.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 ₫7.9M

$591 ฿19.7K

-48.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.8

5.57

40.04%

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

Last update for Bien Hoa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bien Hoa

$281 41.7%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 6.2% $17

Groceries & Markets

Bien Hoa

$165 24.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 42.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Bien Hoa

$87 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 24.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bien Hoa

$61 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 53.6% $33

Eating Out

Bien Hoa

$50 7.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 56.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bien Hoa

$18 2.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 186% $33

Getting Around

Bien Hoa

$11 1.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 449% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Bien Hoa and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 95% 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: $12.00 in Bien Hoa vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $235 per month, with Bien Hoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Bien Hoa

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

Same time as Bien Hoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,272,235

127,240

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bien Hoa Chiang Mai 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bien Hoa
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

Bien Hoa vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $415 in Bien Hoa versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $673 in Bien Hoa versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bien Hoa but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bien Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bien Hoa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.