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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $956 in Brcko versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Brcko versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,872 in Brcko versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brcko is roughly 10% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brcko 29% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 BAM 11.70

$1.94 ฿63.5

259.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.44 BAM 59.6

$18.64 ฿609

90.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 BAM 9.36

$7.82 ฿255

-28.77%

Cappuccino

$1.76 BAM 2.96

$1.95 ฿63.8

-9.74%

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

$1.01 BAM 1.70

$0.85 ฿27.77

18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 BAM 1.15

$0.35 ฿11.58

94.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 BAM 1.43

$2.13 ฿69.6

-60.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 BAM 3.48

$3.73 ฿122

-44.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 BAM 2.30

$1.71 ฿56.0

-19.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 1.96

$1.63 ฿53.2

-28.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BAM 3.91

$1.14 ฿37.15

104.39%

Eggs

$2.90 BAM 4.88

$1.93 ฿63.1

50.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 BAM 16.80

$16.21 ฿530

-38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 BAM 12.29

$3.12 ฿102

134.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.36 BAM 22.45

$10.90 ฿356

22.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 BAM 2.01

$2.75 ฿90.0

-56.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 BAM 2.85

$1.21 ฿39.52

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 BAM 3.11

$1.62 ฿53.0

14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 BAM 2.80

$1.59 ฿51.8

5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 BAM 1.36

$1.40 ฿45.70

-42.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 BAM 1.24

$1.17 ฿38.17

-36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 BAM 1.57

$0.66 ฿21.60

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 BAM 1.69

$0.53 ฿17.22

88.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.21 BAM 5.39

$4.69 ฿153

-31.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.45 BAM 14.19

$18.66 ฿609

-54.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 BAM 2.13

$1.80 ฿58.8

-29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 BAM 3.45

$3.23 ฿106

-36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 BAM 1.95

$0.90 ฿29.26

28.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.76 BAM 60.1

$19.21 ฿628

86.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BAM 1.95

$1.41 ฿45.91

-17.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 BAM 0.94

$1.29 ฿42.12

-56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 BAM 17.89

$7.84 ฿256

35.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 BAM 2.42

$1.27 ฿41.58

13.39%

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

$23.2K BAM 39.0K

$21.3K ฿694.9K

9.14%

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

$25.9K BAM 43.5K

$22.2K ฿725.4K

16.52%

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

$125 BAM 210

$69.1 ฿2,256

80.67%

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

$11.67 BAM 19.61

$14.08 ฿460

-17.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.53 BAM 47.94

$18.00 ฿588

58.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.43 BAM 44.41

$41.06 ฿1,341

-35.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.76 BAM 18.08

$6.96 ฿227

54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 BAM 9.29

$5.92 ฿193

-6.59%

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

$154 BAM 259

$299 ฿9,766

-48.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,285 BAM 5,520

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-78.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.26 BAM 39.08

$54.7 ฿1,787

-57.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.85 BAM 29.99

$26.77 ฿874

-33.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 BAM 148

$85.0 ฿2,776

3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 BAM 149

$70.6 ฿2,306

25.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 BAM 603

$428 ฿14.0K

-16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 BAM 437

$237 ฿7,752

9.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 BAM 879

$801 ฿26.2K

-34.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 BAM 603

$515 ฿16.8K

-30.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,542 BAM 2,590

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-21.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 BAM 2,055

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-17.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 BAM 863

$617 ฿20.2K

-16.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

-17.20%

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

Last update for Brcko: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Brcko and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Brcko vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $246, with Brcko cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Chiang Mai earns 20% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Brcko versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Brcko versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Brcko pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $956 in Brcko, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brcko. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brcko, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brcko 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 10% less than in Brcko. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.