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 $1,372 per month in Budaors vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,040 per month in Budaors vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,709 per month in Budaors vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Budaors costs about 58% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budaors sits 2% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 Ft 3,547

$1.98 ฿64.3

491.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 Ft 15.8K

$18.80 ฿612

177.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 Ft 2,646

$7.75 ฿252

12.90%

Cappuccino

$2.24 Ft 678

$1.92 ฿62.5

16.67%

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

$1.68 Ft 509

$0.79 ฿25.79

112.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 Ft 389

$0.36 ฿11.62

255.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Ft 753

$2.21 ฿72.1

12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 Ft 887

$3.66 ฿119

-19.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 Ft 330

$1.65 ฿53.8

-33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 Ft 457

$1.63 ฿53.2

-7.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 Ft 640

$1.19 ฿38.86

77.31%

Eggs

$3.13 Ft 946

$2.00 ฿65.1

56.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 Ft 3,060

$15.98 ฿520

-36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.40 Ft 1,936

$3.03 ฿98.5

111.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 Ft 4,009

$10.86 ฿354

22.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 556

$2.76 ฿90.0

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 Ft 603

$1.18 ฿38.42

68.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 Ft 650

$1.64 ฿53.5

31.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 Ft 975

$1.52 ฿49.51

111.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 Ft 344

$1.38 ฿45.10

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 Ft 424

$1.19 ฿38.84

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 Ft 453

$0.70 ฿22.86

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Ft 171

$0.56 ฿18.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 Ft 2,030

$4.58 ฿149

46.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 Ft 1,485

$16.56 ฿539

-70.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 Ft 353

$1.83 ฿59.5

-36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 Ft 505

$3.20 ฿104

-47.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 Ft 401

$0.88 ฿28.56

51.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.82 Ft 4,181

$18.72 ฿610

-26.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 Ft 972

$1.36 ฿44.16

136.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 Ft 357

$1.34 ฿43.65

-11.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.23 Ft 5,818

$7.84 ฿256

145.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 Ft 553

$1.23 ฿39.92

48.78%

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

$25.7K Ft 7.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

18.82%

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

$31.7K Ft 9.6M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

40.59%

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

$144 Ft 43.7K

$70.5 ฿2,298

104.79%

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

$26.14 Ft 7,908

$13.68 ฿445

91.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.78 Ft 5,985

$17.45 ฿568

13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 Ft 21.1K

$41.33 ฿1,346

68.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.66 Ft 3,226

$6.96 ฿227

53.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.75 Ft 2,648

$5.77 ฿188

51.65%

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

$458 Ft 138.6K

$307 ฿10.0K

49.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,249 Ft 1.9M

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-57.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 Ft 20.0K

$55.8 ฿1,817

18.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Ft 11.7K

$26.21 ฿854

47.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 Ft 27.8K

$85.8 ฿2,793

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 Ft 27.7K

$72.2 ฿2,353

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 Ft 159.0K

$430 ฿14.0K

22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 Ft 161.6K

$239 ฿7,774

123.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$809 Ft 244.7K

$817 ฿26.6K

-1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 Ft 248.5K

$511 ฿16.6K

60.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,222 Ft 1.3M

$1,983 ฿64.6K

112.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,059 Ft 1.2M

$1,484 ฿48.3K

173.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,752 Ft 530.1K

$619 ฿20.2K

183.15%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Budaors versus $430 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 183% 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 $52.0 in Budaors versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $233 in Budaors vs $241 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: $1,372 in Budaors, $869 in Chiang Mai – roughly 58% apart. Budaors costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Budaors and $1,303 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 3% 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 $52.0 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 $869, than in Budaors at $1,372. 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 $869 in Chiang Mai to $1,372 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.