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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,393 per month in Budaors vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Budaors vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,681 per month in Budaors vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Budaors costs about 63% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budaors sits 4% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.65 Ft 3,635

$1.96 ฿64.0

494.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 Ft 16.1K

$18.81 ฿615

173.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 Ft 2,645

$7.92 ฿259

7.07%

Cappuccino

$2.33 Ft 727

$1.91 ฿62.6

21.99%

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

$1.74 Ft 543

$0.84 ฿27.41

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 Ft 420

$0.35 ฿11.51

285.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Ft 747

$2.21 ฿72.1

8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 Ft 923

$3.80 ฿124

-22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Ft 326

$1.64 ฿53.5

-36.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Ft 476

$1.62 ฿53.1

-6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 Ft 646

$1.18 ฿38.62

75.42%

Eggs

$3.12 Ft 974

$2.01 ฿65.8

55.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 Ft 3,169

$15.89 ฿520

-36.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 Ft 1,916

$3.01 ฿98.5

103.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 Ft 4,176

$10.77 ฿352

24.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 Ft 572

$2.61 ฿85.5

-29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 Ft 618

$1.22 ฿39.88

62.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 Ft 674

$1.70 ฿55.7

27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 Ft 1,008

$1.58 ฿51.5

104.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 367

$1.32 ฿43.14

-10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 Ft 442

$1.17 ฿38.23

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 468

$0.67 ฿21.98

123.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 Ft 179

$0.56 ฿18.32

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 Ft 2,074

$4.53 ฿148

46.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 Ft 1,510

$18.20 ฿595

-73.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 Ft 354

$1.83 ฿60.0

-37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 Ft 534

$3.23 ฿106

-47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 Ft 394

$0.89 ฿29.00

41.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.75 Ft 4,289

$19.38 ฿634

-29.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 Ft 1,011

$1.35 ฿44.20

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 Ft 374

$1.35 ฿44.05

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 Ft 5,906

$8.25 ฿270

129.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 Ft 575

$1.27 ฿41.64

44.88%

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

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

21.10%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.8M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

39.27%

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

$146 Ft 45.4K

$70.2 ฿2,294

107.46%

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

$26.28 Ft 8,200

$13.77 ฿450

90.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.34 Ft 6,033

$17.60 ฿575

9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 Ft 21.7K

$41.57 ฿1,360

67.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.40 Ft 3,245

$6.60 ฿216

57.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 Ft 2,804

$5.78 ฿189

55.54%

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

$463 Ft 144.6K

$306 ฿10.0K

51.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,053 Ft 2.5M

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-45.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 Ft 21.1K

$54.4 ฿1,778

24.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.46 Ft 12.0K

$26.14 ฿855

47.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 Ft 28.3K

$84.5 ฿2,764

7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 Ft 28.4K

$69.4 ฿2,270

30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 Ft 165.3K

$424 ฿13.9K

25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 Ft 164.3K

$238 ฿7,788

121.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 Ft 255.9K

$825 ฿27.0K

-0.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 Ft 251.9K

$515 ฿16.8K

56.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 Ft 1.3M

$2,049 ฿67.0K

100.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 Ft 1.2M

$1,523 ฿49.8K

158.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 Ft 536.5K

$635 ฿20.8K

170.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

50.00%

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

Last update for Budaors: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Budaors versus $424 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 run about 171% higher in Budaors, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Budaors versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Budaors vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Budaors wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,393 in Budaors, $852 in Chiang Mai – roughly 63% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,090 per month in Budaors and $1,278 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Budaors – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Budaors and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Budaors at $1,393. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budaors it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $852 in Chiang Mai to $1,393 in Budaors. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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