Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bussum and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $2,557 in Bussum, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Bussum
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Bussum Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bussum

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,557

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bussum 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 Bussum and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Bussum versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Bussum $2,557
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,742 in Bussum versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Bussum $3,742
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,927 in Bussum versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Bussum $4,927
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Bussum is roughly 172% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bussum is 89% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 €22.12

$2.26 ฿75.4

1000.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 €74.9

$19.18 ฿641

338.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 €12.13

$5.59 ฿187

143.83%

Cappuccino

$3.90 €3.47

$1.72 ฿57.6

126.74%

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

$3.77 €3.36

$0.64 ฿21.54

489.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.77

$0.33 ฿11.18

842.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 €4.83

$2.36 ฿78.7

130.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 €4.88

$3.90 ฿130

40.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.05 ฿68.6

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.40 ฿46.70

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 €2.16

$1.28 ฿42.89

89.84%

Eggs

$4.82 €4.29

$2.25 ฿75.3

114.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 €11.36

$16.94 ฿566

-24.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 €12.80

$2.74 ฿91.6

425.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 €14.83

$9.36 ฿313

78.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.70

$2.40 ฿80.3

-20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.13

$1.01 ฿33.92

137.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.61 ฿53.9

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.52 ฿50.7

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.78

$1.28 ฿42.90

57.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.11 ฿37.22

40.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$0.72 ฿24.09

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.52 ฿17.54

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 €12.38

$4.33 ฿145

221.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.03

$17.73 ฿593

-61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.63 ฿54.4

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.85 ฿95.3

-38.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 €3.11

$0.85 ฿28.31

311.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 €78.8

$53.9 ฿1,801

64.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.91

$1.17 ฿39.18

276.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 €2.91

$0.57 ฿19.00

475.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 €54.1

$2.37 ฿79.2

2464.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.45 ฿48.32

55.86%

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

$39.5K €35.2K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

93.12%

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

$23.0K €20.5K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-13.16%

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

$282 €251

$62.3 ฿2,083

351.93%

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

$24.44 €21.74

$12.27 ฿410

99.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.21 €43.77

$19.97 ฿668

146.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 €52.5

$37.91 ฿1,267

55.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 €21.33

$3.76 ฿126

537.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 €14.83

$6.71 ฿224

148.58%

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

$2,374 €2,112

$797 ฿26.6K

197.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,848 €6,981

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-47.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 €52.0

$53.3 ฿1,780

9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.85 €39.01

$25.05 ฿837

75.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 €80.6

$91.6 ฿3,062

-1.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €125

$73.5 ฿2,455

90.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 €1,458

$464 ฿15.5K

253.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 €1,047

$305 ฿10.2K

286.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 €2,129

$915 ฿30.6K

161.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 €1,678

$552 ฿18.5K

241.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,963 €5,304

$1,912 ฿63.9K

211.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,301 €5,605

$1,438 ฿48.1K

338.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,538 €4,037

$595 ฿19.9K

662.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.57

-22.80%

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

Last update for Bussum: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bussum

$1.2K 46%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 74.1% $872

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bussum

$355 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 73.4% $261

Eating Out

Bussum

$352 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 77.6% $273

Groceries & Markets

Bussum

$306 12%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 22.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Bussum

$150 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 27% $40

Getting Around

Bussum

$123 4.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 50.3% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Bussum

$92 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 44.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,639 in Bussum and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bussum pays 662% 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: $84.0 in Bussum vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Bussum

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

15:31 3:31 PM

5 h ahead of Bussum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,220

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bussum Chiang Mai 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bussum
Chiang Mai

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

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

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

Bussum and Chiang Mai differ by about 172% in total monthly costs ($2,557 vs $938 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 662% higher in Bussum, 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: $1,639 in Bussum versus $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,557 per month in Bussum versus $938 in Chiang Mai – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 64% less than in Bussum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $2,557 in Bussum, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bussum. 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, Bussum 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 172% less than in Bussum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.