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: $2,777 in Burnaby versus $861 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Burnaby versus $1,350 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,321 in Burnaby versus $1,838 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 223% 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 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 CA$20.88

$1.96 ฿65.8

657.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 CA$105

$18.35 ฿617

307.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 CA$13.02

$7.48 ฿252

23.66%

Cappuccino

$4.24 CA$5.97

$2.02 ฿67.8

109.90%

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

$1.80 CA$2.53

$0.85 ฿28.50

111.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$0.36 ฿11.96

272.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.37

$2.14 ฿71.8

178.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.98

$3.59 ฿121

57.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.65 ฿55.5

51.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.87

$1.57 ฿52.7

75.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 CA$6.55

$1.19 ฿40.02

291.60%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.60

$1.94 ฿65.1

68.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.54

$16.19 ฿544

-23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.47

$2.99 ฿101

291.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 CA$30.12

$10.94 ฿368

95.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.72

$2.71 ฿91.2

23.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.17 ฿39.25

13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.27

$1.69 ฿56.7

79.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.42

$1.60 ฿54.0

140.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.10

$1.38 ฿46.54

110.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$1.20 ฿40.45

155.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$0.67 ฿22.50

268.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.68

$0.56 ฿18.73

241.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 CA$20.84

$4.64 ฿156

219.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$17.62 ฿593

-26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$1.86 ฿62.5

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$3.30 ฿111

-22.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$0.88 ฿29.68

157.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 CA$109

$19.34 ฿650

301.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$1.36 ฿45.90

100.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.34 ฿44.98

0.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.82

$8.21 ฿276

218.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.22 ฿41.18

12.30%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$21.4K ฿718.1K

18.76%

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

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$22.5K ฿757.7K

-10.59%

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

$136 CA$192

$70.7 ฿2,376

92.73%

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

$41.79 CA$58.8

$14.04 ฿472

197.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$17.49 ฿588

213.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 CA$43.91

$42.15 ฿1,417

-25.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 CA$7.54

$6.88 ฿231

-22.09%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.70

$5.92 ฿199

172.47%

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

$534 CA$752

$309 ฿10.4K

73.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 CA$11.5K

$14.9K ฿500.4K

-45.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$55.8 ฿1,875

-1.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$26.11 ฿878

106.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 CA$133

$83.0 ฿2,792

13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 CA$133

$70.5 ฿2,369

34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CA$2,651

$432 ฿14.5K

336.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 CA$2,321

$239 ฿8,035

590.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,117 CA$5,793

$822 ฿27.7K

400.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 CA$3,768

$512 ฿17.2K

422.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,680 CA$9,400

$1,915 ฿64.4K

248.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 CA$7,792

$1,467 ฿49.3K

277.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 CA$4,385

$579 ฿19.5K

437.87%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Burnaby and $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 438% 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: $75.0 in Burnaby vs $18.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 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

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

Burnaby and Chiang Mai differ by about 223% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $861 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 438% 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: $1,884 in Burnaby versus $432 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $534 in Burnaby versus $309 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Chiang Mai versus $2,777 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 223% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.