Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,754 in Burlington, IA versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Burlington, IA versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,589 in Burlington, IA versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burlington, IA is roughly 106% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, IA is 31% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 $11.56

$1.96 ฿64.0

489.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 $60.6

$18.81 ฿615

221.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$7.92 ฿259

13.13%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$1.91 ฿62.6

187.96%

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

$2.01 $2.01

$0.84 ฿27.41

139.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.35 ฿11.51

454.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.21 ฿72.1

55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$3.80 ฿124

15.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.64 ฿53.5

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.62 ฿53.1

59.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.83 $7.83

$1.18 ฿38.62

563.56%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$2.01 ฿65.8

45.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$15.89 ฿520

-8.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$3.01 ฿98.5

339.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$10.77 ฿352

40.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.61 ฿85.5

89.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.22 ฿39.88

61.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.70 ฿55.7

175.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$1.58 ฿51.5

222.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.32 ฿43.14

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.17 ฿38.23

110.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.67 ฿21.98

170.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.56 ฿18.32

325.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 $9.10

$4.53 ฿148

100.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$18.20 ฿595

-33.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.83 ฿60.0

-7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.23 ฿106

23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.89 ฿29.00

77.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.78 $20.78

$19.38 ฿634

7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.35 ฿44.20

165.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.35 ฿44.05

17.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.74 $28.74

$8.25 ฿270

248.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.27 ฿41.64

-30.71%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

8.29%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

5.02%

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

$174 $174

$70.2 ฿2,294

148.57%

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

$51.3 $51.3

$13.77 ฿450

272.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 $51.3

$17.60 ฿575

191.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 $50.0

$41.57 ฿1,360

20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$5.78 ฿189

93.25%

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

$708 $708

$306 ฿10.0K

131.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

60.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.26 $44.26

$54.4 ฿1,778

-18.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 $31.22

$26.14 ฿855

19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 $65.7

$84.5 ฿2,764

-22.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.46 $37.46

$69.4 ฿2,270

-46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 $631

$424 ฿13.9K

48.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$679 $679

$238 ฿7,788

185.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 $1,048

$825 ฿27.0K

27.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$515 ฿16.8K

129.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,056 $1,056

$2,049 ฿67.0K

-48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,059 $1,059

$1,523 ฿49.8K

-30.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,402 $4,402

$635 ฿20.8K

593.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

30.40%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $631 in Burlington, IA and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 593% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Burlington, IA vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

Burlington, IA vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Burlington, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Burlington, IA pays 593% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $631 in Burlington, IA versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $708 in Burlington, IA versus $306 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,754 in Burlington, IA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Burlington, IA and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.