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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,039 in Bourges versus $872 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,074 in Bourges versus $1,337 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,109 in Bourges versus $1,802 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bourges is roughly 134% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bourges is 51% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €14.70

$2.01 ฿64.5

759.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 €62.8

$18.23 ฿584

304.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.50 €10.64

$7.65 ฿245

63.40%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.28

$1.92 ฿61.5

101.04%

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

$2.91 €2.48

$0.84 ฿26.97

246.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.51

$0.36 ฿11.42

391.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 €7.04

$2.19 ฿70.2

278.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 €5.92

$3.79 ฿121

83.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.64 ฿52.5

-10.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.62 ฿52.0

57.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.28

$1.15 ฿36.98

133.04%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.55

$1.94 ฿62.2

114.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.15 €20.55

$15.94 ฿511

51.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.86 €13.50

$3.10 ฿99.5

411.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 €21.54

$11.07 ฿355

128.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.31

$2.71 ฿86.8

0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.18

$1.18 ฿37.80

117.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.49 €2.97

$1.71 ฿54.7

104.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.31

$1.61 ฿51.5

141.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.35

$1.39 ฿44.66

98.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 €2.38

$1.15 ฿36.81

142.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$0.71 ฿22.83

108.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.74

$0.55 ฿17.65

58.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.72 €11.67

$4.57 ฿146

200.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 €7.13

$18.87 ฿605

-55.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.16 €2.69

$1.82 ฿58.4

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.67

$3.21 ฿103

-2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.64

$0.88 ฿28.24

119.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.60 €42.21

$18.89 ฿606

162.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 €5.02

$1.41 ฿45.30

317.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.30 ฿41.71

46.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 €48.80

$8.20 ฿263

599.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.23 ฿39.29

70.73%

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

$37.7K €32.1K

$21.2K ฿678.9K

78.22%

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

$37.9K €32.3K

$22.3K ฿715.3K

70.08%

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

$284 €242

$69.9 ฿2,240

306.40%

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

$22.27 €18.95

$14.07 ฿451

58.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.15 €31.61

$17.70 ฿567

109.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.25 €32.55

$41.41 ฿1,328

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.44 €15.69

$6.69 ฿215

175.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 €12.00

$5.74 ฿184

145.64%

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

$291 €247

$299 ฿9,593

-2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.1K

$15.0K ฿481.2K

-20.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €93.7

$54.8 ฿1,758

100.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.93 €42.49

$26.35 ฿845

89.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €104

$84.7 ฿2,714

45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €139

$69.7 ฿2,236

133.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 €655

$427 ฿13.7K

80.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$606 €516

$241 ฿7,718

151.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,042

$811 ฿26.0K

51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €940

$498 ฿16.0K

121.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,047 €891

$1,524 ฿48.9K

-31.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,993 €2,547

$639 ฿20.5K

368.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.76

-24.80%

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

Last update for Bourges: April 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $770 in Bourges and $427 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bourges pays 368% 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: $74 in Bourges vs $18 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Bourges. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Bourges pays 368% 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: $770 in Bourges versus $427 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $74.0 in Bourges. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,039 per month in Bourges versus $872 in Chiang Mai – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $872 in Chiang Mai versus $2,039 in Bourges, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bourges. 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 $872 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bourges 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 134% less than in Bourges. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.