Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brades and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Brades and in Chiang Mai: $923 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$923

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Brades versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Brades $923
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,139 in Brades versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Brades $2,139
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,355 in Brades versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Brades $3,355
Chiang Mai $1,979

Monthly costs are close between Brades and Chiang Mai; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brades 32% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.72 EC$50.5

$2.24 ฿75.6

735.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.37 EC$128

$19.00 ฿641

149.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 EC$32.78

$5.55 ฿187

118.74%

Cappuccino

$7.14 EC$19.27

$1.67 ฿56.5

327.54%

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

$2.80 EC$7.55

$0.64 ฿21.53

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 EC$4.26

$0.31 ฿10.30

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 EC$7.90

$2.36 ฿79.5

24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 EC$12.22

$3.66 ฿124

23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.47 EC$9.37

$1.95 ฿65.7

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 EC$7.96

$1.44 ฿48.45

104.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

Eggs

$7.07 EC$19.08

$2.28 ฿77.0

210.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 EC$15.54

$16.45 ฿555

-64.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 EC$24.59

$2.78 ฿93.8

227.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.89 EC$61.8

$9.31 ฿314

145.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 EC$9.03

$2.35 ฿79.4

42.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 EC$11.82

$1.50 ฿50.6

192.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 EC$6.07

$1.10 ฿37.17

104.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.21 EC$14.06

$0.71 ฿23.81

633.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$22.17 EC$59.9

$17.52 ฿591

26.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 EC$12.19

$2.78 ฿93.9

62.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 EC$5.11

$0.87 ฿29.29

117.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.70 EC$12.68

$0.53 ฿17.79

786.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$2.42 ฿81.7

-21.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

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

$22.2K EC$60.0K

$21.1K ฿710.3K

5.51%

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

$15.0K EC$40.4K

$26.9K ฿908.7K

-44.43%

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

$92.8 EC$250

$62.2 ฿2,097

49.20%

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

$40.24 EC$109

$12.17 ฿410

230.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.18 EC$130

$20.12 ฿679

139.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 EC$152

$37.31 ฿1,259

51.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 EC$3,499

$1,006 ฿33.9K

28.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 EC$3,455

$633 ฿21.4K

101.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,320 EC$3,563

$590 ฿19.9K

123.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Brades: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Brades

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Brades vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $234 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇸 Brades

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

21:55 9:55 PM

11 h ahead of Brades

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

400

127,240

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brades Chiang Mai 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Brades
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

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

Average pay in Brades is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $47 in Brades. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Shoppers in Chiang Mai pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Brades is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Brades and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.