Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $950 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $1,430 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $1,909 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 202% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 108% above, Chiang Mai is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$2.10 ฿69.3

939.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$19.84 ฿656

341.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$5.79 ฿191

64.77%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$1.83 ฿60.4

162.84%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$0.78 ฿25.61

201.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$0.31 ฿10.37

480.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$2.34 ฿77.2

207.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$3.70 ฿122

64.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.03 ฿67.1

18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$1.60 ฿52.7

82.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.42 ฿46.75

153.52%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$2.18 ฿71.9

51.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$15.91 ฿526

-9.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$3.07 ฿102

356.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$9.87 ฿326

156.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$2.63 ฿86.8

73.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.10 ฿36.19

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$1.63 ฿53.8

185.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$1.53 ฿50.6

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.24 ฿41.13

133.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.13 ฿37.37

218.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$0.74 ฿24.38

282.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$0.50 ฿16.48

334.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$4.28 ฿141

241.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$17.97 ฿594

-23.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.70 ฿56.1

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.90 ฿95.7

-17.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$0.94 ฿31.13

161.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$55.3 ฿1,827

46.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$1.23 ฿40.76

142.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$0.53 ฿17.66

177.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$2.40 ฿79.3

1020.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.44 ฿47.55

-7.64%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$21.2K ฿700.2K

33.33%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$27.3K ฿902.1K

-27.92%

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

$125 CA$173

$64.9 ฿2,145

91.95%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$13.35 ฿441

230.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$20.83 ฿688

159.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$40.42 ฿1,336

-22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$3.95 ฿131

175.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$6.71 ฿222

116.84%

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

$667 CA$925

$787 ฿26.0K

-15.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$56.2 ฿1,858

-5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$24.95 ฿824

110.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$92.7 ฿3,063

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$75.1 ฿2,482

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$484 ฿16.0K

249.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$287 ฿9,491

439.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$910 ฿30.1K

172.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$531 ฿17.5K

312.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$1,980 ฿65.4K

246.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$1,451 ฿47.9K

284.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$605 ฿20.0K

422.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

5.57

-14.54%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 422% 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: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $242 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

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

Burnaby and Chiang Mai differ by about 202% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $950 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 422% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $484 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $787 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $2,869 in Burnaby, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Burnaby 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 202% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.