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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,751 in Birgu versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,900 in Birgu versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,049 in Birgu versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Birgu is roughly 102% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Birgu is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.68 €17.79

$1.94 ฿63.5

965.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 €81.5

$18.64 ฿609

408.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.10

$7.82 ฿255

50.13%

Cappuccino

$2.90 €2.50

$1.95 ฿63.8

48.72%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$0.85 ฿27.77

178.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.35 ฿11.58

411.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.91

$2.13 ฿69.6

113.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.92

$3.73 ฿122

21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.71 ฿56.0

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.63 ฿53.2

-21.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 €3.75

$1.14 ฿37.15

281.58%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.53

$1.93 ฿63.1

112.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 €8.75

$16.21 ฿530

-37.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 €7.64

$3.12 ฿102

184.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 €12.09

$10.90 ฿356

28.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.75 ฿90.0

2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.21 ฿39.52

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.47

$1.62 ฿53.0

77.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.59 ฿51.8

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.40 ฿45.70

63.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.17 ฿38.17

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.07

$0.66 ฿21.60

265.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.53 ฿17.22

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.51

$4.69 ฿153

36.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 €7.43

$18.66 ฿609

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.80 ฿58.8

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$3.23 ฿106

-30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 €2.40

$0.90 ฿29.26

210.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 €12.46

$19.21 ฿628

-24.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 €5.00

$1.41 ฿45.91

312.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.29 ฿42.12

-21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.92 €42.08

$7.84 ฿256

523.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.27 ฿41.58

20.47%

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

$27.2K €23.4K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

27.65%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

51.70%

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

$94.5 €81.3

$69.1 ฿2,256

36.75%

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

$28.32 €24.36

$14.08 ฿460

101.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.43 €29.62

$18.00 ฿588

91.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 €39.57

$41.06 ฿1,341

12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 €20.28

$6.96 ฿227

238.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 €8.95

$5.92 ฿193

75.68%

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

$424 €365

$299 ฿9,766

41.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,049 €1,763

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-86.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.91 €22.28

$54.7 ฿1,787

-52.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 €29.40

$26.77 ฿874

27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.0 ฿2,776

20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.4

$70.6 ฿2,306

45.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 €895

$428 ฿14.0K

143.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 €709

$237 ฿7,752

247.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,689 €3,173

$801 ฿26.2K

360.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 €1,356

$515 ฿16.8K

205.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,136 €3,558

$1,975 ฿64.5K

109.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,905 €2,499

$1,475 ฿48.2K

96.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,979 €1,703

$617 ฿20.2K

220.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

-11.40%

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

Last update for Birgu: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,040 in Birgu and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Birgu pays 221% 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: $95.0 in Birgu 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Birgu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Birgu pays 221% 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: $1,040 in Birgu versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 33% less than in Birgu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $424 in Birgu versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,751 in Birgu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Birgu. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgu 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 102% less than in Birgu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.