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: $2,284 in Brescia versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Brescia versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,693 in Brescia versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brescia is roughly 145% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brescia is 67% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 €19.86

$2.08 ฿69.5

995.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.8 €75.7

$19.61 ฿655

342.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.92 €13.01

$5.67 ฿189

163.14%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.28

$1.81 ฿60.3

44.20%

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

$3.52 €3.06

$0.77 ฿25.65

357.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$0.35 ฿11.53

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.21

$2.21 ฿73.9

222.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €5.98

$3.79 ฿127

81.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.05 ฿68.4

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 €3.02

$1.51 ฿50.6

129.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.91

$1.40 ฿46.69

138.57%

Eggs

$4.49 €3.92

$2.26 ฿75.4

98.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.15 €20.18

$16.19 ฿540

42.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 €11.14

$2.90 ฿96.7

340.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.69 €20.65

$9.42 ฿314

151.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.68 ฿89.4

7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.09 ฿36.37

115.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$1.62 ฿54.0

62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.30

$1.46 ฿48.74

159.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.28 ฿42.65

73.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.06 ฿35.31

104.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.72 ฿23.94

143.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.51

$0.53 ฿17.56

11.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.04 €6.14

$4.23 ฿141

66.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 €8.09

$18.29 ฿611

-49.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.28

$1.63 ฿54.4

60.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.25

$2.90 ฿96.8

-11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 €1.66

$0.88 ฿29.32

115.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.17 €38.50

$53.8 ฿1,795

-17.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 €8.33

$1.17 ฿39.14

716.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.46

$0.58 ฿19.30

189.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.91 €28.69

$2.39 ฿79.6

1276.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.45 ฿48.41

47.59%

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

$37.1K €32.4K

$21.0K ฿701.4K

76.68%

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

$37.8K €32.9K

$26.4K ฿882.0K

42.92%

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

$345 €301

$63.7 ฿2,125

441.67%

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

$14.37 €12.53

$12.89 ฿430

11.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.12 €27.13

$20.52 ฿685

51.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.62 €37.15

$39.02 ฿1,302

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 €24.24

$3.92 ฿131

609.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 €14.00

$6.58 ฿220

144.07%

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

$941 €820

$784 ฿26.2K

19.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.9K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

16.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 €109

$55.1 ฿1,840

127.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 €40.63

$24.74 ฿826

88.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$94.1 ฿3,142

23.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €145

$74.0 ฿2,469

125.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 €836

$490 ฿16.4K

95.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 €681

$288 ฿9,620

171.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 €1,709

$891 ฿29.8K

119.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 €1,228

$521 ฿17.4K

170.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,452 €3,009

$1,974 ฿65.9K

74.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 €1,955

$1,444 ฿48.2K

55.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,983 €1,728

$602 ฿20.1K

229.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

5.57

-37.70%

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

Last update for Brescia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Brescia and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brescia pays 230% 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: $87.0 in Brescia vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 145% 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.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Brescia, 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: $959 in Brescia versus $490 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 $20.00 versus $87.0 in Brescia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,284 per month in Brescia versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 145% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,284 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 $932 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 145% less than in Brescia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.