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 $1,100 per month in Burrel vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,648 per month in Burrel vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,196 per month in Burrel vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Burrel costs about 27% 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 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.32 ALL 761

$1.98 ฿64.3

370.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.00 ALL 3,023

$18.80 ฿612

96.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 ALL 593

$7.75 ฿252

-6.45%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 160

$1.92 ฿62.5

2.08%

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

$1.64 ALL 134

$0.79 ฿25.79

107.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 70.0

$0.36 ฿11.62

138.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ALL 195

$2.21 ฿72.1

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ALL 268

$3.66 ฿119

-10.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ALL 168

$1.65 ฿53.8

24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ALL 69.1

$1.63 ฿53.2

-47.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 158

$1.19 ฿38.86

63.03%

Eggs

$2.94 ALL 240

$2.00 ฿65.1

47.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 ALL 822

$15.98 ฿520

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 ALL 653

$3.03 ฿98.5

163.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ALL 1,070

$10.86 ฿354

20.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ALL 153

$2.76 ฿90.0

-32.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 195

$1.18 ฿38.42

102.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 ALL 137

$1.64 ฿53.5

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 ALL 109

$1.52 ฿49.51

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 82.2

$1.38 ฿45.10

-26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ALL 97.7

$1.19 ฿38.84

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ALL 89.4

$0.70 ฿22.86

55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ALL 63.2

$0.56 ฿18.13

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ALL 325

$4.58 ฿149

-13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 ALL 806

$16.56 ฿539

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ALL 138

$1.83 ฿59.5

-8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ALL 146

$3.20 ฿104

-44.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ALL 36.81

$0.88 ฿28.56

-48.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.79 ALL 1,535

$18.72 ฿610

0.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ALL 284

$1.36 ฿44.16

155.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ALL 262

$1.34 ฿43.65

139.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 ALL 1,461

$7.84 ฿256

128.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 ALL 180

$1.23 ฿39.92

79.67%

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

$34.4K ALL 2.8M

$21.6K ฿704.3K

59.08%

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

$25.4K ALL 2.1M

$22.5K ฿734.3K

12.45%

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

$67.9 ALL 5,551

$70.5 ฿2,298

-3.69%

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

$17.30 ALL 1,413

$13.68 ฿445

26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.82 ALL 1,292

$17.45 ฿568

-9.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 ALL 4,575

$41.33 ฿1,346

35.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.90 ALL 2,034

$6.96 ฿227

257.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 ALL 669

$5.77 ฿188

41.94%

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

$92.8 ALL 7,579

$307 ฿10.0K

-69.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.82 ALL 3,826

$55.8 ฿1,817

-16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 ALL 4,357

$26.21 ฿854

103.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 ALL 7,835

$85.8 ฿2,793

11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ALL 11.3K

$72.2 ฿2,353

91.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ALL 36.2K

$430 ฿14.0K

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ALL 27.6K

$239 ฿7,774

41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ALL 50.2K

$817 ฿26.6K

-24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ALL 36.2K

$511 ฿16.6K

-13.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,954 ALL 159.6K

$1,983 ฿64.6K

-1.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 ALL 108.1K

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-10.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $443 in Burrel versus $430 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: $246 vs $241 – 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 27% 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 $1,650 per month in Burrel and $1,303 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 $92.8 per month in Burrel and $307 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 $869, than in Burrel at $1,100. 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 $869 versus $1,100 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.