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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,010 in Bilbao versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Bilbao versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,720 in Bilbao versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 133% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 50% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$1.96 ฿65.7

795.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.4

$18.35 ฿616

276.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.12

$7.48 ฿251

54.81%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.98

$2.02 ฿67.7

12.38%

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

$2.91 €2.54

$0.85 ฿28.45

242.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.36 ฿11.94

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.33

$2.14 ฿71.7

78.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.26

$3.59 ฿121

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.65 ฿55.4

-25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.30

$1.57 ฿52.6

-5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.19 ฿39.95

42.02%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.51

$1.94 ฿65.0

48.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 €13.33

$16.19 ฿544

-5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 €7.87

$2.99 ฿100

201.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.62 €11.90

$10.94 ฿367

24.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$2.71 ฿91.0

2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.17 ฿39.18

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$1.69 ฿56.6

45.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.60 ฿53.9

48.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$1.38 ฿46.45

24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$1.20 ฿40.38

87.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.67 ฿22.46

119.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.56 ฿18.70

98.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.93

$4.64 ฿156

46.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.05

$17.62 ฿591

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.86 ฿62.4

-27.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$3.30 ฿111

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.67

$0.88 ฿29.63

118.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.79 €43.51

$19.34 ฿649

157.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.86

$1.36 ฿45.82

309.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 €0.84

$1.34 ฿44.90

-27.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.92 €28.76

$8.21 ฿276

300.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.22 ฿41.11

44.26%

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

$38.0K €33.2K

$21.4K ฿716.8K

77.74%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$22.5K ฿756.3K

42.99%

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

$156 €136

$70.7 ฿2,372

120.12%

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

$22.02 €19.24

$14.04 ฿471

56.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 €30.02

$17.49 ฿587

96.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €50.4

$42.15 ฿1,415

36.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 €8.91

$6.88 ฿231

48.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 €8.79

$5.92 ฿199

69.93%

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

$549 €479

$309 ฿10.4K

77.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,097 €7,948

$14.9K ฿499.5K

-38.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 €71.9

$55.8 ฿1,872

47.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.39

$26.11 ฿877

33.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 €72.1

$83.0 ฿2,787

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €98.6

$70.5 ฿2,365

60.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 €950

$432 ฿14.5K

151.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €837

$239 ฿8,020

300.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 €1,580

$822 ฿27.6K

119.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,187

$512 ฿17.2K

165.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,777 €5,047

$1,915 ฿64.3K

201.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,699 €3,232

$1,467 ฿49.3K

152.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 €2,089

$579 ฿19.4K

312.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

-32.40%

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

Last update for Bilbao: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Bilbao and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 313% 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: $69.0 in Bilbao vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $243 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

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

Bilbao and Chiang Mai differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($2,010 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 313% higher in Bilbao, 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: $1,087 in Bilbao versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $549 in Bilbao versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,010 in Bilbao, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bilbao. 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, Bilbao 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 133% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.