Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bonao and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bonao: $678 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bonao
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Bonao Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bonao

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$678

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Bonao versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Bonao $678
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,117 in Bonao versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Bonao $1,117
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Bonao versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Bonao $1,556
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Bonao costs roughly 27% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bonao 50% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.74 DOP 585

$2.13 ฿72.0

357.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.85 DOP 2,934

$18.62 ฿628

162.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 DOP 459

$5.60 ฿189

36.43%

Cappuccino

$1.93 DOP 116

$1.66 ฿56.1

16.27%

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

$1.06 DOP 63.5

$0.65 ฿21.83

63.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 DOP 34.39

$0.30 ฿10.29

90.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 DOP 151

$2.32 ฿78.4

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 DOP 189

$3.67 ฿124

-14.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 DOP 61.5

$2.02 ฿68.0

-49.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 DOP 61.8

$1.41 ฿47.51

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 DOP 39.83

$1.39 ฿46.96

-52.52%

Eggs

$1.16 DOP 69.9

$2.37 ฿79.9

-51.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.84 DOP 291

$16.52 ฿557

-70.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 DOP 327

$2.67 ฿90.1

104.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 DOP 400

$9.02 ฿304

-26.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 DOP 141

$2.40 ฿80.9

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 DOP 38.14

$1.04 ฿35.13

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 DOP 158

$1.66 ฿56.0

58.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 DOP 84.3

$1.56 ฿52.6

-10.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 DOP 121

$1.24 ฿41.76

62.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 DOP 92.7

$1.09 ฿36.66

41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 DOP 61.2

$0.76 ฿25.70

34.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 DOP 28.11

$0.51 ฿17.35

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 DOP 312

$4.12 ฿139

25.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 DOP 412

$17.93 ฿605

-61.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 DOP 122

$1.62 ฿54.8

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 DOP 170

$2.82 ฿95.2

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 DOP 34.58

$0.93 ฿31.53

-37.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 DOP 2,096

$52.9 ฿1,785

-34.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 DOP 192

$1.18 ฿39.70

170.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 DOP 136

$0.17 ฿5.79

1229.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 DOP 149

$1.81 ฿61.1

37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 DOP 86.2

$1.47 ฿49.69

-2.72%

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

$29.2K DOP 1.8M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

39.03%

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

$33.2K DOP 2.0M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

25.26%

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

$91.6 DOP 5,503

$62.6 ฿2,111

46.47%

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

$30.86 DOP 1,854

$11.60 ฿392

166.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.71 DOP 2,144

$20.30 ฿685

75.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$7.34 DOP 441

$6.51 ฿220

12.75%

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

$246 DOP 14.8K

$727 ฿24.5K

-66.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,464 DOP 448.3K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-54.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.87 DOP 2,695

$53.5 ฿1,807

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 DOP 2,763

$24.80 ฿837

85.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 DOP 5,084

$90.4 ฿3,050

-6.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 DOP 7,262

$72.0 ฿2,428

68.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.56

5.57

143.45%

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

Last update for Bonao: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bonao

$171 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 38.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bonao

$158 23.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40.3% $64

Eating Out

Bonao

$149 22%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 48.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Bonao

$133 19.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 18.8% $25

Getting Around

Bonao

$52 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 13.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Bonao

$15 * 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 247% $36

Accommodation & Living

Bonao

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49 in Bonao vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $237, with Bonao cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇴 Bonao

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

07:42 7:42 AM

11 h ahead of Bonao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

158,034

127,240

💱 Currency

Dominican Peso DOP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 DOP = 1.67 USD

100 DOP = 1.49 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to DOP – Dominican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇩🇴 Dominican Peso ($)

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 60.06 DOP (100 DOP = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 67.17 DOP (100 DOP = 1.49 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to DOP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bonao Chiang Mai 15,660 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Bonao
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $678 in Bonao and $935 in Chiang Mai, so Bonao is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,018 in Bonao and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

A monthly transit pass in Bonao runs roughly 34% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $246 in Bonao versus $727 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bonao gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.