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: $931 in Brcko versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,369 in Brcko versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,807 in Brcko versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brcko costs roughly 2% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brcko 33% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.14 BAM 11.99

$2.10 ฿69.0

240.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 BAM 65.3

$19.84 ฿653

95.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 BAM 12.13

$5.79 ฿191

24.70%

Cappuccino

$1.67 BAM 2.81

$1.83 ฿60.2

-8.74%

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

$1.72 BAM 2.88

$0.78 ฿25.51

120.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 BAM 2.04

$0.31 ฿10.33

290.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.85 BAM 1.43

$2.34 ฿76.9

-63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 BAM 4.03

$3.70 ฿122

-35.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 BAM 2.53

$2.03 ฿66.8

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 BAM 1.97

$1.60 ฿52.5

-26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 BAM 3.91

$1.42 ฿46.57

64.08%

Eggs

$2.96 BAM 4.98

$2.18 ฿71.6

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 BAM 16.75

$15.91 ฿523

-37.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 BAM 12.39

$3.07 ฿101

140.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.61 BAM 22.86

$9.87 ฿325

37.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$2.63 ฿86.4

-53.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 BAM 3.14

$1.10 ฿36.05

70.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 BAM 3.25

$1.63 ฿53.6

19.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 BAM 2.96

$1.53 ฿50.4

15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 BAM 1.41

$1.24 ฿40.97

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 BAM 1.26

$1.13 ฿37.22

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 BAM 1.55

$0.74 ฿24.29

24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 BAM 1.72

$0.50 ฿16.42

106.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 BAM 5.41

$4.28 ฿141

-24.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 BAM 13.52

$17.97 ฿591

-55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 BAM 2.29

$1.70 ฿55.9

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 BAM 4.06

$2.90 ฿95.3

-16.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 BAM 2.03

$0.94 ฿31.00

28.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,820

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 BAM 2.04

$1.23 ฿40.60

-0.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 BAM 0.97

$0.53 ฿17.59

9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 BAM 17.85

$2.40 ฿79.0

342.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BAM 2.53

$1.44 ฿47.37

4.17%

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

$32.3K BAM 54.3K

$21.2K ฿697.5K

52.45%

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

$22.7K BAM 38.2K

$27.3K ฿898.6K

-16.76%

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

$126 BAM 211

$64.9 ฿2,137

93.62%

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

$12.02 BAM 20.18

$13.35 ฿439

-9.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.62 BAM 48.07

$20.83 ฿686

37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.46 BAM 44.44

$40.42 ฿1,330

-34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 BAM 9.30

$6.71 ฿221

-17.44%

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

$155 BAM 260

$787 ฿25.9K

-80.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K BAM 23.7K

$15.1K ฿497.7K

-6.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.77 BAM 39.92

$56.2 ฿1,850

-57.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.88 BAM 30.03

$24.95 ฿821

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 BAM 148

$92.7 ฿3,051

-4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 BAM 148

$75.1 ฿2,472

17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 BAM 589

$484 ฿15.9K

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 BAM 449

$287 ฿9,454

-6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 BAM 913

$910 ฿29.9K

-40.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 BAM 588

$531 ฿17.5K

-33.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,539 BAM 2,585

$1,980 ฿65.2K

-22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 BAM 2,042

$1,451 ฿47.8K

-16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 BAM 841

$605 ฿19.9K

-17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.57

-22.80%

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

Last update for Brcko: September 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $351 in Brcko and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 21% 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: $39.00 in Brcko vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $242, 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

Brcko is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Chiang Mai. 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: $351 in Brcko versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Brcko versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brcko – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $931 in Brcko versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Brcko but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Brcko the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Brcko is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, 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 Brcko gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.