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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Brest versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,335 in Brest versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,177 in Brest versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Brest is roughly 75% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brest is 12% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 €13.98

$2.04 ฿68.2

691.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.4 €44.51

$18.71 ฿624

174.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 €9.66

$7.86 ฿262

41.86%

Cappuccino

$3.28 €2.84

$2.03 ฿67.7

61.58%

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

$2.42 €2.09

$0.80 ฿26.64

202.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.35 ฿11.68

411.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €6.06

$2.14 ฿71.5

226.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 €4.48

$3.67 ฿122

41.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.73 ฿57.6

-34.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.57 ฿52.4

8.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.20 ฿39.99

78.33%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.32

$1.97 ฿65.8

94.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.70 €16.19

$16.23 ฿541

15.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.69 €11.86

$3.06 ฿102

347.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 €11.42

$10.80 ฿360

22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.41

$2.77 ฿92.3

0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.17 ฿38.94

69.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 €3.72

$1.71 ฿57.0

151.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.86

$1.59 ฿53.2

107.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.39 ฿46.51

36.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.16 ฿38.56

102.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.22

$0.66 ฿22.05

113.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 €0.35

$0.52 ฿17.31

-21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.92 €11.19

$4.65 ฿155

177.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.76

$17.78 ฿593

-62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.19

$1.79 ฿59.6

105.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.69

$3.34 ฿111

-6.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.91 ฿30.27

109.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.67 €42.15

$18.64 ฿622

161.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.95

$1.41 ฿47.04

304.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.34 ฿44.70

29.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.45 €28.10

$8.11 ฿270

300.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.23 ฿41.16

65.85%

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

$36.1K €31.3K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

68.36%

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

$33.5K €29.0K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

53.48%

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

$179 €155

$71.3 ฿2,379

151.07%

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

$23.11 €20.01

$14.01 ฿467

64.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 €22.01

$17.93 ฿598

41.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.52 €32.49

$40.82 ฿1,362

-8.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.74 €20.56

$6.88 ฿230

245.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 €12.20

$5.72 ฿191

146.15%

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

$227 €197

$308 ฿10.3K

-26.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.3K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-19.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 €51.0

$55.8 ฿1,860

5.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 €37.91

$26.04 ฿869

68.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 €61.9

$84.8 ฿2,829

-15.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 €79.0

$71.0 ฿2,368

28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 €456

$423 ฿14.1K

24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 €345

$242 ฿8,088

64.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 €744

$797 ฿26.6K

7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 €648

$507 ฿16.9K

47.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 €2,402

$1,918 ฿64.0K

44.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,494 €2,159

$1,464 ฿48.8K

70.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,668 €2,310

$595 ฿19.9K

348.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

-27.60%

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

Last update for Brest: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Brest and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brest pays 348% 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: $51.0 in Brest vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $244 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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Brest. 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 348% higher in Brest, 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: $526 in Brest versus $423 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 $51.0 in Brest. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,494 per month in Brest versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,494 in Brest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Brest. 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, Brest 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 75% less than in Brest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.