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: $1,796 in Burlington, IA versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,684 in Burlington, IA versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,572 in Burlington, IA versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burlington, IA is roughly 111% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, IA is 35% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 $11.29

$2.04 ฿68.2

453.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$18.71 ฿624

216.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 $9.07

$7.86 ฿262

15.39%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$2.03 ฿67.7

164.53%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$0.80 ฿26.64

157.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.35 ฿11.68

462.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.14 ฿71.5

65.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.67 ฿122

25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.73 ฿57.6

-49.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.57 ฿52.4

66.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.20 $8.20

$1.20 ฿39.99

583.33%

Eggs

$2.98 $2.98

$1.97 ฿65.8

51.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$16.23 ฿541

-9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 $12.85

$3.06 ฿102

319.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.80 ฿360

40.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.77 ฿92.3

84.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.17 ฿38.94

60.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.71 ฿57.0

183.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.59 ฿53.2

225.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.39 ฿46.51

113.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.16 ฿38.56

112.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.66 ฿22.05

177.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.52 ฿17.31

359.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.08 $9.08

$4.65 ฿155

95.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$17.78 ฿593

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.79 ฿59.6

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.34 ฿111

20.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.91 ฿30.27

80.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.83 $20.83

$18.64 ฿622

11.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.41 ฿47.04

141.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.34 ฿44.70

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 $29.49

$8.11 ฿270

263.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.23 ฿41.16

-26.83%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

7.41%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

8.27%

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

$173 $173

$71.3 ฿2,379

142.35%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$14.01 ฿467

273.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$17.93 ฿598

184.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.43 $49.43

$40.82 ฿1,362

21.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 $11.16

$5.72 ฿191

95.10%

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

$709 $709

$308 ฿10.3K

130.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

59.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.75 $44.75

$55.8 ฿1,860

-19.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 $30.52

$26.04 ฿869

17.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 $66.0

$84.8 ฿2,829

-22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.89 $37.89

$71.0 ฿2,368

-46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 $642

$423 ฿14.1K

51.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 $671

$242 ฿8,088

176.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 $1,037

$797 ฿26.6K

30.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$507 ฿16.9K

131.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,022 $1,022

$1,918 ฿64.0K

-46.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,038 $1,038

$1,464 ฿48.8K

-29.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,456 $4,456

$595 ฿19.9K

648.77%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Burlington, IA and $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 649% 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: $59.0 in Burlington, IA vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $244 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 111% 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.

Average pay runs 649% higher in Burlington, IA, 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: $642 in Burlington, IA versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $709 in Burlington, IA versus $308 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 $1,796 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 111% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.