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

😐 Solo nomad: Busan is 79.8% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 76.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Busan is 90.4% more expensive than Chiang Mai without rent, and 80% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.18 ₩10.5K
$2.03 ฿63.8
253.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.16 ₩52.8K
$18.59 ฿585
94.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.02 ₩8,791
$7.48 ฿235
-19.52%
Cappuccino
$4.09 ₩5,965
$2.00 ฿62.8
104.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₩2,730
$0.85 ฿26.63
120.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₩1,969
$0.35 ฿11.05
285.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.77 ₩5,509
$2.21 ฿69.5
70.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.92 ₩8,639
$3.76 ฿118
57.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.27 ₩3,308
$1.72 ฿54.0
31.98%
White Bread (500g)
$3.59 ₩5,244
$1.63 ฿51.4
120.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.96 ₩4,324
$1.16 ฿36.42
155.17%
Eggs
$2.96 ₩4,313
$1.98 ฿62.2
49.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.38 ₩15.1K
$15.93 ฿501
-34.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 ₩12.3K
$3.17 ฿99.6
166.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.52 ₩40.2K
$10.90 ฿343
152.48%
Apples (1kg)
$8.58 ₩12.5K
$2.65 ฿83.2
223.77%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 ₩4,585
$1.22 ฿38.45
157.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.20 ₩10.5K
$1.70 ฿53.4
323.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.32 ₩7,766
$1.59 ฿49.99
234.59%
Potato (1kg)
$5.03 ₩7,348
$1.32 ฿41.63
281.06%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 ₩4,420
$1.17 ฿36.74
158.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 ₩3,079
$0.68 ฿21.31
210.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 ₩1,689
$0.56 ฿17.52
107.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.40 ₩4,956
$4.51 ฿142
-24.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.01 ₩24.8K
$19.07 ฿600
-10.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 ₩2,451
$1.77 ฿55.7
-5.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 ₩4,915
$3.18 ฿100.0
5.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 ₩1,702
$0.96 ฿30.27
21.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.88 ₩64.0K
$18.90 ฿594
132.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 ₩5,037
$1.36 ฿42.69
153.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 ₩1,166
$1.35 ฿42.51
-40.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.83 ₩24.6K
$8.03 ฿253
109.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ₩1,770
$1.24 ฿39.08
-2.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K ₩40.0M
$21.2K ฿665.4K
29.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K ₩36.9M
$21.8K ฿684.0K
16.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 ₩273.6K
$71.2 ฿2,240
163.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.2 ₩73.3K
$14.09 ฿443
256.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.30 ₩39.8K
$17.47 ฿549
56.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 ₩75.4K
$42.07 ฿1,323
22.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.06 ₩19.1K
$6.88 ฿216
89.83%
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 ₩16.5K
$5.94 ฿187
90.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$482 ₩704.0K
$307 ฿9,664
56.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.4K ₩21.0M
$14.8K ฿465.1K
-2.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 ₩151.5K
$55.7 ฿1,750
86.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.4 ₩96.8K
$26.79 ฿842
147.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 ₩127.6K
$83.2 ฿2,617
5.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 ₩173.2K
$70.1 ฿2,204
69.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$510 ₩744.1K
$427 ฿13.4K
19.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 ₩460.5K
$237 ฿7,454
33.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 ₩1.5M
$802 ฿25.2K
26.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 ₩951.1K
$503 ฿15.8K
29.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,960 ₩13.1M
$2,061 ฿64.8K
334.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,927 ₩10.1M
$1,533 ฿48.2K
352.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Busan
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,499 ₩3.6M
$654 ฿20.6K
282.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.22
5
-15.60%

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

Last update for Busan: March 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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