Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,168 in Bologna, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
Learn more

Bologna Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,168

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,168 per month in Bologna vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bologna $2,168
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $3,357 per month in Bologna vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bologna $3,357
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $4,546 per month in Bologna vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bologna $4,546
Chiang Mai $1,914

Bologna costs about 131% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bologna sits 61% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.66 €20.16

$2.26 ฿75.4

902.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.8 €78.1

$19.18 ฿641

357.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 €11.98

$5.59 ฿187

140.79%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.99

$1.72 ฿57.6

30.23%

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

$3.52 €3.13

$0.64 ฿21.54

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$0.33 ฿11.18

448.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 €5.94

$2.36 ฿78.7

183.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 €5.01

$3.90 ฿130

44.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$2.05 ฿68.6

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.40 ฿46.70

113.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 €2.57

$1.28 ฿42.89

125.78%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.57

$2.25 ฿75.3

78.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.41 €18.15

$16.94 ฿566

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.24 €10.88

$2.74 ฿91.6

346.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.03 €18.70

$9.36 ฿313

124.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.21

$2.40 ฿80.3

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$1.01 ฿33.92

137.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.27

$1.61 ฿53.9

58.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$1.52 ฿50.7

117.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.28 ฿42.90

46.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.11 ฿37.22

54.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.72 ฿24.09

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.50

$0.52 ฿17.54

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.88 €6.12

$4.33 ฿145

58.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 €7.08

$17.73 ฿593

-55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.70

$1.63 ฿54.4

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.85 ฿95.3

-0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 €2.34

$0.85 ฿28.31

209.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.76 €38.03

$53.9 ฿1,801

-20.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 €4.13

$1.17 ฿39.18

296.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 €1.47

$0.57 ฿19.00

189.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.98 €28.45

$2.37 ฿79.2

1249.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.45 ฿48.32

47.59%

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

$36.8K €32.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

79.93%

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

$36.4K €32.4K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

37.35%

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

$249 €221

$62.3 ฿2,083

298.68%

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

$11.10 €9.88

$12.27 ฿410

-9.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 €27.77

$19.97 ฿668

56.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 €56.1

$37.91 ฿1,267

66.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.63 €23.69

$3.76 ฿126

608.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 €8.78

$6.71 ฿224

47.09%

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

$768 €683

$797 ฿26.6K

-3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

11.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$53.3 ฿1,780

75.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €41.08

$25.05 ฿837

84.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €109

$91.6 ฿3,062

33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €129

$73.5 ฿2,455

98.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €1,015

$464 ฿15.5K

145.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €771

$305 ฿10.2K

184.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 €1,851

$915 ฿30.6K

127.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 €1,400

$552 ฿18.5K

184.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,130 €4,563

$1,912 ฿63.9K

168.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,737 €3,324

$1,438 ฿48.1K

159.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,103 €1,870

$595 ฿19.9K

253.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

5.57

-42.73%

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

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bologna

$867 40%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 64.9% $562

Groceries & Markets

Bologna

$363 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 34.4% $125

Eating Out

Bologna

$314 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 74.9% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bologna

$291 13.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 67.5% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Bologna

$183 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 40.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Bologna

$83 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 38% $31

Getting Around

Bologna

$66 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 7.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,141 in Bologna versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 253% higher in Bologna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Bologna versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Bologna

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

19:34 7:34 PM

5 h ahead of Bologna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,663

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bologna Chiang Mai 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bologna
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

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

Bologna costs about 131% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,251 per month in Bologna and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $768 per month in Bologna and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Bologna at $2,168. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bologna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $2,168 in Bologna. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bologna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.