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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,102 per month in Burrel vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,658 per month in Burrel vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,214 per month in Burrel vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Burrel costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Burrel and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Burrel 18% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.45 ALL 772

$1.96 ฿63.6

382.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 ALL 2,995

$18.81 ฿611

94.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 ALL 579

$7.92 ฿258

-10.61%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 160

$1.91 ฿62.2

2.62%

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

$1.66 ALL 135

$0.84 ฿27.25

97.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ALL 65.7

$0.35 ฿11.44

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 ALL 189

$2.21 ฿71.7

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ALL 262

$3.80 ฿124

-15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 168

$1.64 ฿53.2

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 ALL 75.2

$1.62 ฿52.8

-43.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 165

$1.18 ฿38.40

71.19%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 248

$2.01 ฿65.4

51.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ALL 821

$15.89 ฿517

-36.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 ALL 650

$3.01 ฿98.0

164.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.49 ALL 1,102

$10.77 ฿350

25.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ALL 152

$2.61 ฿85.0

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 ALL 199

$1.22 ฿39.65

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ALL 138

$1.70 ฿55.4

-0.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 110

$1.58 ฿51.2

-15.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 ALL 81.8

$1.32 ฿42.89

-24.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ALL 96.2

$1.17 ฿38.01

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ALL 90.3

$0.67 ฿21.85

64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.5

$0.56 ฿18.21

30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ALL 336

$4.53 ฿147

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.99 ALL 817

$18.20 ฿592

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ALL 138

$1.83 ฿59.6

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 143

$3.23 ฿105

-45.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 40.30

$0.89 ฿28.83

-44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.50 ALL 1,512

$19.38 ฿630

-4.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 ALL 282

$1.35 ฿43.95

154.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 254

$1.35 ฿43.79

129.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.49 ALL 1,429

$8.25 ฿268

112.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ALL 179

$1.27 ฿41.40

72.44%

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

$35.1K ALL 2.9M

$21.2K ฿687.8K

65.91%

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

$25.8K ALL 2.1M

$22.5K ฿731.0K

14.53%

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

$66.5 ALL 5,434

$70.2 ฿2,281

-5.20%

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

$17.64 ALL 1,442

$13.77 ฿448

28.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.78 ALL 1,289

$17.60 ฿572

-10.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ALL 4,423

$41.57 ฿1,352

30.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.09 ALL 2,050

$6.60 ฿215

280.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 ALL 657

$5.78 ฿188

38.93%

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

$92.3 ALL 7,546

$306 ฿9,953

-69.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿482.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.36 ALL 3,871

$54.4 ฿1,768

-12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 ALL 4,275

$26.14 ฿850

100.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ALL 7,551

$84.5 ฿2,748

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 ALL 11.8K

$69.4 ฿2,257

107.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ALL 36.3K

$424 ฿13.8K

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ALL 28.3K

$238 ฿7,743

45.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ALL 49.8K

$825 ฿26.8K

-26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 ALL 35.9K

$515 ฿16.7K

-14.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,832 ALL 149.7K

$2,049 ฿66.6K

-10.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 ALL 100.0K

$1,523 ฿49.5K

-19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-20.00%

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

Last update for Burrel: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Burrel versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Burrel versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $243 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Burrel costs about 29% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,653 per month in Burrel and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $92.3 per month in Burrel and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Burrel, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Burrel at $1,102. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burrel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $852 versus $1,102 in Burrel. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burrel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.