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: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 220% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 107% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$1.94 ฿63.6

660.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$18.64 ฿609

296.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$7.82 ฿256

14.45%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$1.95 ฿63.9

114.87%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$0.85 ฿27.80

112.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$0.35 ฿11.60

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$2.13 ฿69.7

177.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$3.73 ฿122

49.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.71 ฿56.0

49.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$1.63 ฿53.3

69.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$1.14 ฿37.18

292.98%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$1.93 ฿63.2

62.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$16.21 ฿530

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$3.12 ฿102

283.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$10.90 ฿356

98.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$2.75 ฿90.1

21.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.21 ฿39.56

5.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.62 ฿53.0

85.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$1.59 ฿51.9

141.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$1.40 ฿45.75

106.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.17 ฿38.20

156.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$0.66 ฿21.62

262.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$0.53 ฿17.24

256.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$4.69 ฿153

216.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$18.66 ฿610

-28.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.80 ฿58.8

33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.23 ฿106

-21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$0.90 ฿29.28

153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$19.21 ฿628

301.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$1.41 ฿45.96

98.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.29 ฿42.16

10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$7.84 ฿256

222.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.27 ฿41.62

3.15%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$21.3K ฿695.5K

19.10%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$22.2K ฿726.1K

-8.02%

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

$136 CA$188

$69.1 ฿2,258

96.28%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$14.08 ฿460

202.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$18.00 ฿588

208.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$41.06 ฿1,342

-23.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$6.96 ฿227

-19.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$5.92 ฿193

175.17%

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

$547 CA$760

$299 ฿9,775

82.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-45.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$54.7 ฿1,788

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$26.77 ฿875

100.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$85.0 ฿2,778

10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$70.6 ฿2,308

36.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$428 ฿14.0K

345.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$237 ฿7,759

598.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$801 ฿26.2K

397.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$515 ฿16.9K

414.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$1,975 ฿64.5K

248.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$1,475 ฿48.2K

274.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$617 ฿20.2K

430.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

30.80%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 430% 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: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $246 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 220% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $866 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 430% 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,776 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 220% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.