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: $2,181 in Bilbao versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Bilbao versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,175 in Bilbao versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 130% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 59% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 €17.82

$2.08 ฿69.4

893.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.5 €61.7

$19.64 ฿654

263.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 €11.12

$5.65 ฿188

128.14%

Cappuccino

$2.66 €2.30

$1.81 ฿60.1

46.96%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$0.71 ฿23.75

343.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.32 ฿10.52

481.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.09

$2.24 ฿74.5

59.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.98

$3.63 ฿121

-4.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.96 ฿65.2

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.50 ฿50.0

10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.34 ฿44.49

15.67%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$2.26 ฿75.4

49.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.02

$16.26 ฿541

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €6.98

$2.95 ฿98.4

174.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 €11.74

$9.94 ฿331

36.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.57 ฿85.7

7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.06 ฿35.18

101.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$1.61 ฿53.7

66.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.52 ฿50.6

59.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.27 ฿42.30

18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.07 ฿35.51

139.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.72 ฿23.98

76.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.51 ฿16.94

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 €5.89

$4.19 ฿140

63.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.03

$17.87 ฿595

-54.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.69 ฿56.4

-5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.84 ฿94.5

-7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.93 ฿30.82

103.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.67

$53.9 ฿1,794

-1.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.03

$1.23 ฿41.11

373.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.58 ฿19.20

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.10 €29.41

$2.42 ฿80.7

1309.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.41 ฿47.03

21.28%

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

$36.4K €31.4K

$21.4K ฿714.1K

69.79%

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

$31.6K €27.3K

$27.3K ฿910.2K

15.77%

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

$149 €129

$63.7 ฿2,120

134.22%

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

$20.81 €17.95

$12.85 ฿428

61.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 €27.18

$20.22 ฿673

55.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.65

$38.74 ฿1,290

48.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €13.97

$3.97 ฿132

308.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 €9.12

$6.74 ฿224

56.82%

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

$555 €478

$778 ฿25.9K

-28.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K €10.1K

$14.6K ฿486.5K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €80.7

$54.3 ฿1,808

72.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.95 €31.01

$25.45 ฿847

41.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €61.7

$94.3 ฿3,141

-24.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$73.4 ฿2,446

83.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,123

$490 ฿16.3K

165.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €948

$289 ฿9,634

279.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 €2,210

$894 ฿29.8K

186.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 €1,559

$517 ฿17.2K

249.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,083 €5,247

$1,955 ฿65.1K

211.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,306

$1,477 ฿49.2K

159.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,439 €2,104

$602 ฿20.0K

305.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.98

5.57

-46.50%

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

Last update for Bilbao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Bilbao and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 305% 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: $71.0 in Bilbao vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $240 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,181 vs $947 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 305% 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: $1,302 in Bilbao versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Bilbao versus $778 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 $947 in Chiang Mai versus $2,181 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 130% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.