Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bushehr and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bushehr: $518 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Bushehr
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Bushehr Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bushehr

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bushehr and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bushehr and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Bushehr versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bushehr $518
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $805 in Bushehr versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bushehr $805
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,091 in Bushehr versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bushehr $1,091
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bushehr costs roughly 45% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bushehr 62% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 $4.53

$2.24 ฿75.6

102.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.80 $12.80

$19.00 ฿641

-32.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.55 ฿187

-26.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

Cappuccino

$1.22 $1.22

$1.67 ฿56.5

-26.95%

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

$0.62 $0.62

$0.64 ฿21.55

-3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.31 ฿10.31

232.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.95 ฿65.8

-73.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.44 ฿48.48

-79.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.33 ฿45.04

36.09%

Eggs

$0.99 $0.99

$2.28 ฿77.1

-56.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$16.45 ฿555

-91.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.78 ฿93.9

5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.31 ฿314

6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$2.35 ฿79.4

-75.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.97 ฿32.80

50.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.60 ฿53.9

-41.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.50 ฿50.6

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.28 ฿43.12

-62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.10 ฿37.19

-73.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.71 ฿23.82

-28.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 $0.20

$0.49 ฿16.37

-59.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 $0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.14 ฿140

-25.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.13 $0.13

$0.87 ฿29.31

-85.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 $9.67

$54.1 ฿1,826

-82.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 $0.38

$1.16 ฿39.06

-67.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.53 ฿17.80

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.42 ฿81.8

45.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.45 ฿48.90

-93.79%

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

$60.0K $60.0K

$21.1K ฿710.7K

184.87%

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

$48.4K $48.4K

$26.9K ฿909.3K

79.63%

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

$20.18 $20.18

$62.2 ฿2,098

-67.54%

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

$1.59 $1.59

$12.17 ฿411

-86.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.97 $3.97

$20.12 ฿679

-80.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.16 $19.16

$37.31 ฿1,259

-48.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.66 $13.66

$3.77 ฿127

262.33%

Cinema Ticket

$1.94 $1.94

$6.49 ฿219

-70.11%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$736 ฿24.8K

-93.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$608 $608

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-95.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.67 $22.67

$53.4 ฿1,801

-57.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.74 $18.74

$24.64 ฿831

-23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 $96.2

$91.5 ฿3,087

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$71.9 ฿2,428

-22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 $295

$482 ฿16.3K

-38.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 $208

$309 ฿10.4K

-32.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 $327

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-67.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 $353

$633 ฿21.4K

-44.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-51.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 $531

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-66.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 $282

$590 ฿19.9K

-52.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

5.57

336.27%

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

Last update for Bushehr: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bushehr

$208 40.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 48.4% $101

Groceries & Markets

Bushehr

$92 17.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 154% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Bushehr

$87 16.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 25% $22

Eating Out

Bushehr

$70 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 11.2% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bushehr

$26 5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 267% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bushehr

$23 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 118% $27

Getting Around

Bushehr

$12 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 405% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Bushehr and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Bushehr vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92 vs $234 per month, with Bushehr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Bushehr

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of Bushehr

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,504

127,240

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bushehr Chiang Mai 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bushehr
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Bushehr wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bushehr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Bushehr. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $295 in Bushehr versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bushehr runs roughly 82% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $51 in Bushehr versus $736 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $518 in Bushehr versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bushehr but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bushehr 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, Bushehr and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bushehr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.