Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,637 in Brea, CA versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,282 in Brea, CA versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,926 in Brea, CA versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 203% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 96% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$1.98 ฿64.3

895.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$18.80 ฿612

350.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$7.75 ฿252

31.23%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$1.92 ฿62.5

161.98%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$0.79 ฿25.79

230.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.36 ฿11.62

447.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$2.21 ฿72.1

215.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.66 ฿119

95.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.65 ฿53.8

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.63 ฿53.2

143.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.19 ฿38.86

290.76%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$2.00 ฿65.1

126.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$15.98 ฿520

-23.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$3.03 ฿98.5

277.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$10.86 ฿354

36.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.76 ฿90.0

22.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.18 ฿38.42

62.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.64 ฿53.5

129.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$1.52 ฿49.51

266.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.38 ฿45.10

130.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.19 ฿38.84

148.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.70 ฿22.86

192.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.56 ฿18.13

289.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$4.58 ฿149

114.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$16.56 ฿539

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.83 ฿59.5

-4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.20 ฿104

46.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.88 ฿28.56

121.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.36 ฿44.16

193.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.34 ฿43.65

104.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.56 $32.56

$7.84 ฿256

315.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.23 ฿39.92

4.88%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

13.70%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

18.02%

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

$201 $201

$70.5 ฿2,298

185.40%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$13.68 ฿445

238.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$17.45 ฿568

251.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 $42.50

$41.33 ฿1,346

2.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$5.77 ฿188

146.27%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$307 ฿10.0K

289.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.4K $40.4K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

176.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$55.8 ฿1,817

22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.26 $34.26

$26.21 ฿854

30.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$85.8 ฿2,793

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$72.2 ฿2,353

75.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$430 ฿14.0K

270.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$239 ฿7,774

465.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$817 ฿26.6K

244.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$511 ฿16.6K

489.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,902 $5,902

$1,983 ฿64.6K

197.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,933 $5,933

$1,484 ฿48.3K

299.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,915 $9,915

$619 ฿20.2K

1502.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

31.60%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: June 9, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,591 in Brea, CA and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1502% 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: $85.0 in Brea, CA vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $241 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

Brea, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 203% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brea, CA pays 1502% 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: $1,591 in Brea, CA versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,196 in Brea, CA versus $307 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 Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $85.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $2,637 in Brea, CA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. 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 $869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA 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 203% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.