Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burbank, CA and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $3,707 in Burbank, CA, rent and utilities included – about $33,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in Burbank, CA
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Burbank, CA Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Burbank, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,707

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,707 per month in Burbank, CA vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,707
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $3,570 per month in Burbank, CA vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,570
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Burbank, CA vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Burbank, CA $3,432
Chiang Mai $1,903

Burbank, CA costs about 301% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Burbank, CA sits 174% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$2.29 ฿76.5

982.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 $76.9

$19.64 ฿656

291.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$5.61 ฿188

162.21%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$1.66 ฿55.6

251.20%

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

$3.64 $3.64

$0.70 ฿23.40

420.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.31 ฿10.24

767.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$2.41 ฿80.4

227.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 $10.19

$3.71 ฿124

174.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.95 ฿65.3

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.41 ฿47.03

257.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.31 ฿43.62

245.80%

Eggs

$5.58 $5.58

$2.18 ฿72.9

155.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$16.65 ฿556

-8.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$2.76 ฿92.2

490.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 $19.86

$9.11 ฿304

118.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.39 ฿80.0

114.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.03 ฿34.26

125.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.63 ฿54.4

146.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.50 ฿50.0

268.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.29 ฿43.13

162.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.11 ฿37.03

163.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.72 ฿24.08

202.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.53 ฿17.59

409.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$4.31 ฿144

171.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$17.95 ฿600

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.58 ฿52.9

53.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.84 ฿95.0

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.86 ฿28.86

105.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.21 ฿40.29

151.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.57 ฿18.99

217.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.64 $31.64

$2.35 ฿78.6

1246.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.44 ฿47.96

4.86%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

41.61%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-2.67%

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

$219 $219

$62.3 ฿2,083

252.11%

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

$76.6 $76.6

$12.11 ฿405

532.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$19.94 ฿666

271.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$130 $130

$37.07 ฿1,239

250.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$19.68 $19.68

$6.50 ฿217

202.77%

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

$1,645 $1,645

$793 ฿26.5K

107.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

118.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$53.7 ฿1,796

17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.11 $47.11

$24.62 ฿823

91.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$90.9 ฿3,036

13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$71.1 ฿2,378

46.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,192 $3,192

$455 ฿15.2K

600.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 $2,130

$298 ฿9,954

615.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,419 $5,419

$591 ฿19.7K

817.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

5.57

13.29%

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

Last update for Burbank, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burbank, CA

$2.1K 57.5%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 86% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Burbank, CA

$478 12.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 50.7% $242

Eating Out

Burbank, CA

$398 10.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 80.2% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burbank, CA

$370 10%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 74.5% $276

Sport & Entertainment

Burbank, CA

$169 4.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 70.4% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Burbank, CA

$143 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 24.4% $35

Getting Around

Burbank, CA

$19 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 218% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,192 in Burbank, CA versus $455 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 817% higher in Burbank, CA, 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 $77.0 in Burbank, CA versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $235 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burbank, CA

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

20:57 8:57 PM

14 h ahead of Burbank, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,340

127,240

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Burbank, CA Chiang Mai 12,930 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Burbank, CA
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

Burbank, CA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burbank, CA costs about 301% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,561 per month in Burbank, CA and $1,388 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,707 in Burbank, CA and $925 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 301%.

Kindergarten costs $1,645 per month in Burbank, CA and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Burbank, CA at $3,707. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burbank, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $3,707 in Burbank, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Burbank, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.