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 $1,604 per month in Budaors vs $920 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,347 per month in Budaors vs $1,408 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,091 per month in Budaors vs $1,895 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Budaors costs about 74% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budaors sits 17% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 33% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.49 Ft 3,894

$2.11 ฿69.1

491.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 Ft 18.3K

$19.75 ฿648

197.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 Ft 3,016

$5.85 ฿192

65.30%

Cappuccino

$2.61 Ft 813

$1.76 ฿57.8

48.30%

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

$1.94 Ft 605

$0.74 ฿24.37

162.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 Ft 611

$0.33 ฿10.90

493.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 Ft 853

$2.47 ฿81.0

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 Ft 978

$3.88 ฿127

-19.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 Ft 400

$1.90 ฿62.4

-32.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 Ft 535

$1.67 ฿54.7

2.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 Ft 806

$1.35 ฿44.24

91.11%

Eggs

$4.01 Ft 1,249

$2.14 ฿70.2

87.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 Ft 3,827

$15.89 ฿521

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 Ft 2,158

$2.83 ฿92.9

144.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 Ft 5,214

$10.53 ฿345

58.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 Ft 652

$2.38 ฿78.2

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 Ft 679

$1.07 ฿35.01

103.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Ft 843

$1.52 ฿49.79

77.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 Ft 1,156

$1.50 ฿49.30

147.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 Ft 368

$1.28 ฿41.96

-7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 Ft 437

$1.10 ฿36.17

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 Ft 542

$0.69 ฿22.54

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 Ft 185

$0.49 ฿16.18

20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.32 Ft 2,594

$4.27 ฿140

94.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 Ft 1,465

$16.78 ฿550

-71.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 404

$1.66 ฿54.4

-21.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 Ft 712

$2.81 ฿92.3

-18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 Ft 389

$0.90 ฿29.44

38.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.84 Ft 8,679

$54.9 ฿1,801

-49.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 Ft 1,111

$1.20 ฿39.24

196.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 Ft 436

$0.54 ฿17.78

159.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.84 Ft 6,497

$2.37 ฿77.9

779.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 Ft 605

$1.43 ฿46.88

35.66%

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

$31.3K Ft 9.8M

$21.1K ฿691.5K

48.50%

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

$36.5K Ft 11.4M

$27.1K ฿890.2K

34.56%

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

$176 Ft 54.9K

$64.7 ฿2,124

171.93%

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

$25.98 Ft 8,101

$13.19 ฿433

96.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.42 Ft 6,680

$19.44 ฿638

10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.3 Ft 24.4K

$39.45 ฿1,294

98.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.41 Ft 3,558

$3.77 ฿124

202.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 Ft 2,992

$6.62 ฿217

45.02%

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

$541 Ft 168.8K

$805 ฿26.4K

-32.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,084 Ft 2.5M

$15.1K ฿496.1K

-46.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 Ft 32.0K

$54.8 ฿1,796

87.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.04 Ft 14.0K

$25.43 ฿834

77.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 Ft 31.2K

$91.9 ฿3,015

9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 Ft 36.6K

$74.7 ฿2,449

57.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 Ft 181.0K

$467 ฿15.3K

24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 Ft 183.3K

$282 ฿9,251

108.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 Ft 281.2K

$891 ฿29.2K

1.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 Ft 277.9K

$521 ฿17.1K

71.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,126 Ft 1.3M

$1,985 ฿65.1K

107.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,939 Ft 1.2M

$1,462 ฿48.0K

169.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,658 Ft 516.8K

$592 ฿19.4K

179.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.67

5.57

37.70%

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

Last update for Budaors: August 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $581 in Budaors versus $467 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 180% 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 $59.0 in Budaors versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,604 in Budaors, $920 in Chiang Mai – roughly 74% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,406 per month in Budaors and $1,380 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.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Budaors, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in Budaors and $20.00 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 $920, than in Budaors at $1,604. 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 $920 in Chiang Mai to $1,604 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.