Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brugge and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,146 in Brugge, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
Learn more

Brugge Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,146

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brugge and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brugge and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,146 per month in Brugge vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brugge $2,146
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,110 per month in Brugge vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brugge $3,110
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,074 per month in Brugge vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Brugge $4,074
Chiang Mai $1,979

Brugge costs about 129% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Brugge sits 58% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 €20.01

$2.24 ฿75.7

894.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.8 €69.0

$19.00 ฿642

304.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 €11.85

$5.55 ฿188

137.66%

Cappuccino

$4.46 €4.00

$1.67 ฿56.6

167.07%

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

$2.89 €2.59

$0.64 ฿21.56

351.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.61

$0.31 ฿10.32

835.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.89

$2.36 ฿79.6

130.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.10

$3.66 ฿124

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.95 ฿65.8

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 €1.69

$1.44 ฿48.51

30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.33 ฿45.07

51.13%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.35

$2.28 ฿77.1

63.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 €10.30

$16.45 ฿556

-30.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.57

$2.78 ฿94.0

323.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 €16.95

$9.31 ฿314

102.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.41

$2.35 ฿79.5

14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €2.01

$0.97 ฿32.82

130.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.60 ฿53.9

33.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.99

$1.50 ฿50.7

47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$1.28 ฿43.15

76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.80

$1.10 ฿37.22

-19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.71 ฿23.84

115.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.84

$0.49 ฿16.38

89.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.25 €11.90

$4.14 ฿140

220.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 €6.43

$17.52 ฿592

-59.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.02

$1.61 ฿54.5

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.73

$2.78 ฿94.0

-30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 €2.80

$0.87 ฿29.33

258.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 €49.42

$54.1 ฿1,827

1.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €3.05

$1.16 ฿39.08

193.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.16

$0.53 ฿17.82

354.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.85 €22.33

$2.42 ฿81.8

926.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.45 ฿48.93

35.17%

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

$35.9K €32.3K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

70.50%

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

$33.0K €29.6K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

22.36%

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

$212 €191

$62.2 ฿2,100

241.55%

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

$18.28 €16.42

$12.17 ฿411

50.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 €47.98

$20.12 ฿680

165.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 €38.02

$37.31 ฿1,260

13.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.81 €12.41

$3.77 ฿127

266.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.49 €13.02

$6.49 ฿219

123.27%

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

$587 €528

$736 ฿24.9K

-20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,011 €4,501

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-66.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.3

$53.4 ฿1,802

90.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 €52.8

$24.64 ฿832

138.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 €79.1

$91.5 ฿3,089

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$250 €224

$71.9 ฿2,429

247.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 €837

$482 ฿16.3K

93.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 €767

$309 ฿10.4K

176.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 €1,148

$1,006 ฿34.0K

27.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,060

$633 ฿21.4K

86.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,647 €2,378

$2,363 ฿79.8K

12.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,514 €2,258

$1,589 ฿53.7K

58.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,597 €2,333

$590 ฿19.9K

340.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

5.57

-36.80%

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

Last update for Brugge: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brugge

$853 39.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 63.8% $544

Eating Out

Brugge

$331 15.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 76.5% $253

Groceries & Markets

Brugge

$300 14%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 21.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brugge

$284 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 66.7% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Brugge

$224 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 51.5% $116

Getting Around

Brugge

$83 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 26% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Brugge

$71 3.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 29.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Brugge versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Brugge are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Brugge versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brugge

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

6 h ahead of Brugge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,639

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brugge Chiang Mai 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Brugge
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Brugge is pricier by about 129%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,219 per month in Brugge and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $932 in Brugge.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,146 in Brugge and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 56% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $587 per month in Brugge and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,146 in Brugge and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $2,146 in Brugge. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brugge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.