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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,818 in Brescia versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,781 in Brescia versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,744 in Brescia versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brescia is roughly 113% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brescia is 36% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.81 €19.53

$1.96 ฿64.0

1063.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €79.9

$18.81 ฿615

396.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.81

$7.92 ฿259

44.70%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.70

$1.91 ฿62.6

4.19%

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

$3.24 €2.77

$0.84 ฿27.41

285.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.22

$0.35 ฿11.51

308.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.01

$2.21 ฿72.1

164.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 €5.32

$3.80 ฿124

63.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.15

$1.64 ฿53.5

-17.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.05

$1.62 ฿53.1

47.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.32

$1.18 ฿38.62

129.66%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.76

$2.01 ฿65.8

118.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 €13.34

$15.89 ฿520

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 €10.90

$3.01 ฿98.5

322.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.81 €18.67

$10.77 ฿352

102.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.61 ฿85.5

4.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.10

$1.22 ฿39.88

101.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 €2.30

$1.70 ฿55.7

58.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.56

$1.58 ฿51.5

89.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$1.32 ฿43.14

68.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.17 ฿38.23

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.67 ฿21.98

134.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.39

$0.56 ฿18.32

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.82

$4.53 ฿148

49.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 €7.84

$18.20 ฿595

-49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.83 ฿60.0

6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.21

$3.23 ฿106

-20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.89 ฿29.00

128.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.00 €39.37

$19.38 ฿634

137.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 €7.30

$1.35 ฿44.20

531.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.85

$1.35 ฿44.05

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.54 €9.88

$8.25 ฿270

39.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.27 ฿41.64

60.63%

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

$31.9K €27.3K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

50.56%

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

$39.4K €33.7K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

75.29%

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

$245 €210

$70.2 ฿2,294

249.02%

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

$14.85 €12.71

$13.77 ฿450

7.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.62 €27.92

$17.60 ฿575

85.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.89 €39.28

$41.57 ฿1,360

10.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 €17.13

$6.60 ฿216

203.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 €10.29

$5.78 ฿189

107.96%

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

$748 €640

$306 ฿10.0K

144.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K €16.1K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

26.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 €68.2

$54.4 ฿1,778

46.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.86 €20.42

$26.14 ฿855

-8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 €69.7

$84.5 ฿2,764

-3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.0

$69.4 ฿2,270

56.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 €660

$424 ฿13.9K

81.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €530

$238 ฿7,788

160.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 €967

$825 ฿27.0K

36.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 €798

$515 ฿16.8K

80.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,556 €3,044

$2,049 ฿67.0K

73.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,271 €1,944

$1,523 ฿49.8K

49.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,060 €1,764

$635 ฿20.8K

224.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

-14.00%

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

Last update for Brescia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $771 in Brescia and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brescia pays 224% 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: $93.0 in Brescia vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $243 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in Brescia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brescia pays 224% 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: $771 in Brescia versus $424 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 $19.00 versus $93.0 in Brescia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,818 per month in Brescia versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,818 in Brescia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brescia. 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 $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brescia 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 113% less than in Brescia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.