Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucha and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucha: $745 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Bucha
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Bucha Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bucha

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$745

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucha 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 Bucha and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $745 in Bucha versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Bucha $745
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,122 in Bucha versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Bucha $1,122
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,498 in Bucha versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Bucha $1,498
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Bucha costs roughly 20% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bucha 45% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.03 ₴458

$2.13 ฿71.7

370.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.50 ₴982

$18.62 ฿625

15.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.38 ₴291

$5.60 ฿188

13.93%

Cappuccino

$1.03 ₴47.12

$1.66 ฿55.9

-37.95%

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

$0.62 ₴28.42

$0.65 ฿21.73

-4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₴16.53

$0.30 ฿10.24

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ₴40.96

$2.32 ฿78.0

-61.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₴83.8

$3.67 ฿123

-50.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ₴52.3

$2.02 ฿67.7

-43.07%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₴38.51

$1.41 ฿47.29

-40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₴64.6

$1.39 ฿46.75

1.44%

Eggs

$1.91 ₴87.1

$2.37 ฿79.5

-19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 ₴349

$16.52 ฿555

-53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 ₴237

$2.67 ฿89.7

94.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.99 ₴319

$9.02 ฿303

-22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 ₴41.73

$2.40 ฿80.6

-62.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 ₴69.1

$1.04 ฿34.98

45.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ₴81.7

$1.66 ฿55.7

7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 ₴130

$1.56 ฿52.4

82.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ₴30.99

$1.24 ฿41.57

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₴21.32

$1.09 ฿36.50

-56.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 ₴67.2

$0.76 ฿25.59

93.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₴21.77

$0.51 ฿17.27

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ₴162

$4.12 ฿138

-13.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 ₴206

$17.93 ฿602

-74.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₴43.14

$1.62 ฿54.5

-41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₴63.3

$2.82 ฿94.8

-50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₴20.70

$0.93 ฿31.39

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.22 ₴741

$52.9 ฿1,777

-69.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 ₴94.7

$1.18 ฿39.52

75.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 ₴22.82

$0.17 ฿5.76

194.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 ₴185

$1.81 ฿60.9

123.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 ₴77.4

$1.47 ฿49.47

14.97%

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

$30.5K ₴1.4M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

45.10%

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

$24.5K ₴1.1M

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-7.78%

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

$96.5 ₴4,407

$62.6 ฿2,101

54.27%

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

$6.22 ₴284

$11.60 ฿390

-46.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.39 ₴292

$20.30 ฿682

-68.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 ₴1,187

$37.88 ฿1,272

-31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 ₴630

$3.70 ฿124

272.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 ₴206

$6.51 ฿219

-30.88%

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

$418 ₴19.1K

$727 ฿24.4K

-42.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,038 ₴184.4K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-75.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 ₴2,972

$53.5 ฿1,798

21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.36 ₴793

$24.80 ฿833

-30.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 ₴2,524

$90.4 ฿3,036

-38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ₴2,541

$72.0 ฿2,418

-22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₴9,116

$481 ฿16.2K

-58.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₴9,077

$310 ฿10.4K

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₴20.4K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₴13.8K

$659 ฿22.1K

-54.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,161 ₴53.0K

$2,418 ฿81.2K

-52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$849 ₴38.7K

$1,609 ฿54.0K

-47.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 ₴23.1K

$595 ฿20.0K

-14.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

5.57

220.11%

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

Last update for Bucha: November 3, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucha

$199 26.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 55.9% $111

Groceries & Markets

Bucha

$169 22.7%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 39.9% $68

Eating Out

Bucha

$124 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 38.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucha

$109 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 13.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Bucha

$87 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 24.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bucha

$35 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 45.5% $16

Getting Around

Bucha

$23 3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 160% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Bucha and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 18% 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: $21 in Bucha vs $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $237, with Bucha cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇦 Bucha

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

17:28 5:28 PM

5 h ahead of Bucha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,460

127,240

💱 Currency

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 UAH = 2.19 USD

100 UAH = 1.95 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UAH – Ukrainian Hryvnia Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇦 Ukrainian Hryvnia (₴)

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 45.67 UAH (100 UAH = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 51.32 UAH (100 UAH = 1.95 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to UAH in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bucha Chiang Mai 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Bucha
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $745 in Bucha and $935 in Chiang Mai, so Bucha is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Bucha. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Bucha versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $745 per month in Bucha versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Bucha is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bucha runs roughly 69% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bucha gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Bucha wins on affordability, Chiang Mai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.