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: $2,008 in Bilbao versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Bilbao versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,743 in Bilbao versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bilbao is roughly 132% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bilbao is 50% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.69

$1.94 ฿63.6

779.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 €60.8

$18.64 ฿609

278.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €9.78

$7.82 ฿256

45.27%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €1.98

$1.95 ฿63.9

17.95%

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

$3.01 €2.59

$0.85 ฿27.80

254.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.35 ฿11.60

465.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 €3.16

$2.13 ฿69.7

72.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.23

$3.73 ฿122

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.71 ฿56.0

-24.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.63 ฿53.3

-8.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.14 ฿37.18

50.00%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.51

$1.93 ฿63.2

51.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 €13.49

$16.21 ฿530

-3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 €7.46

$3.12 ฿102

177.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 €11.73

$10.90 ฿356

25.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.75 ฿90.1

-2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.21 ฿39.56

92.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.62 ฿53.0

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.59 ฿51.9

54.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.40 ฿45.75

20.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.17 ฿38.20

91.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.66 ฿21.62

119.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.53 ฿17.24

115.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.02

$4.69 ฿153

49.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 €7.18

$18.66 ฿610

-55.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.80 ฿58.8

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.23 ฿106

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.90 ฿29.28

115.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 €42.10

$19.21 ฿628

154.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.70

$1.41 ฿45.96

287.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 €0.79

$1.29 ฿42.16

-29.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.74 €29.06

$7.84 ฿256

330.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.27 ฿41.62

43.31%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.3K ฿695.5K

83.35%

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

$32.4K €27.9K

$22.2K ฿726.1K

46.06%

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

$155 €134

$69.1 ฿2,258

124.51%

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

$21.95 €18.90

$14.08 ฿460

55.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.79 €29.96

$18.00 ฿588

93.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 €48.48

$41.06 ฿1,342

37.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 €8.77

$6.96 ฿227

46.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €8.77

$5.92 ฿193

72.13%

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

$542 €466

$299 ฿9,775

81.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,116 €7,850

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-39.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €73.6

$54.7 ฿1,788

56.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.11

$26.77 ฿875

30.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 €71.2

$85.0 ฿2,778

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.8

$70.6 ฿2,308

59.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 €953

$428 ฿14.0K

158.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €813

$237 ฿7,759

297.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 €1,546

$801 ฿26.2K

123.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,165

$515 ฿16.9K

162.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 €5,105

$1,975 ฿64.5K

200.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 €3,209

$1,475 ฿48.2K

152.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,453 €2,112

$617 ฿20.2K

297.29%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Bilbao and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bilbao pays 297% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $246 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 132% in total monthly costs ($2,008 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bilbao pays 297% more on average, 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: $1,107 in Bilbao versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Bilbao versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Bilbao. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,008 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 132% less than in Bilbao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.