Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buriram and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Buriram and in Chiang Mai: $929 and $935 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Buriram
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Buriram Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Buriram

🇹🇭 Thailand

$929

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $929 per month in Buriram vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buriram $929
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Buriram vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buriram $1,448
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,966 per month in Buriram vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Buriram $1,966
Chiang Mai $1,999

Buriram and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Buriram and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Buriram 31% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 ฿51.4

$2.13 ฿72.0

-28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ฿890

$18.62 ฿628

41.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 ฿288

$5.60 ฿189

52.50%

Cappuccino

$1.35 ฿45.54

$1.66 ฿56.1

-18.67%

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

$0.42 ฿14.30

$0.65 ฿21.83

-35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ฿8.84

$0.30 ฿10.29

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 ฿61.2

$2.32 ฿78.4

-21.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 ฿136

$3.67 ฿124

9.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ฿61.9

$2.02 ฿68.0

-9.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ฿46.00

$1.41 ฿47.51

-3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 ฿41.31

$1.39 ฿46.96

-12.23%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿72.2

$2.37 ฿79.9

-9.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ฿590

$16.52 ฿557

5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.8

$2.67 ฿90.1

-10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 ฿385

$9.02 ฿304

26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿93.0

$2.40 ฿80.9

15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.27

$1.04 ฿35.13

5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 ฿83.1

$1.66 ฿56.0

48.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ฿62.4

$1.56 ฿52.6

18.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.7

$1.24 ฿41.76

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ฿38.58

$1.09 ฿36.66

4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ฿31.97

$0.76 ฿25.70

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.91

$0.51 ฿17.35

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 ฿143

$4.12 ฿139

2.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 ฿520

$17.93 ฿605

-14.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.62 ฿54.8

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.9

$2.82 ฿95.2

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.76

$0.93 ฿31.53

-8.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ฿38.28

$1.18 ฿39.70

-4.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿33.41

$0.17 ฿5.79

482.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.43 ฿183

$1.81 ฿61.1

200.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ฿46.50

$1.47 ฿49.69

-6.12%

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

$24.6K ฿828.3K

$21.0K ฿708.9K

16.84%

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

$23.8K ฿804.1K

$26.5K ฿894.6K

-10.12%

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

$89.5 ฿3,019

$62.6 ฿2,111

43.03%

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

$11.74 ฿396

$11.60 ฿392

1.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ฿722

$20.30 ฿685

5.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.97 ฿1,484

$37.88 ฿1,278

16.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 ฿407

$3.70 ฿125

226.22%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 ฿193

$6.51 ฿220

-12.29%

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

$603 ฿20.4K

$727 ฿24.5K

-17.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ฿586.2K

$16.6K ฿559.2K

4.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ฿1,864

$53.5 ฿1,807

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.20 ฿884

$24.80 ฿837

5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 ฿2,897

$90.4 ฿3,050

-5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 ฿2,817

$72.0 ฿2,428

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 ฿15.1K

$481 ฿16.2K

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$310 ฿10.5K

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 ฿41.6K

$1,058 ฿35.7K

16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 ฿20.6K

$659 ฿22.2K

-7.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,911 ฿64.5K

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-20.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,591 ฿53.7K

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-1.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Buriram: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Buriram

$310 33.3%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Buriram

$246 26.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 3.6% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buriram

$123 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 23% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Buriram

$113 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 4% $4.6

Eating Out

Buriram

$74 8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 3.6% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Buriram

$55 6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 8.1% $4.5

Getting Around

Buriram

$9.5 * 1%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 518% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $447 in Buriram versus $481 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Buriram versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $237 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Buriram

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Buriram

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,333

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Buriram Chiang Mai 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Buriram
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,394 per month in Buriram and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $447 in Buriram and $481 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26 in Buriram and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $603 per month in Buriram and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Buriram – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.