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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $988 in Byblos versus $947 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,620 in Byblos versus $1,411 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Byblos versus $1,874 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Byblos is roughly 4% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Byblos 28% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 LBP 790.6K

$2.08 ฿69.2

324.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.42 LBP 3.8M

$19.64 ฿651

115.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 LBP 636.5K

$5.65 ฿188

25.84%

Cappuccino

$3.05 LBP 272.6K

$1.81 ฿59.9

68.51%

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

$0.98 LBP 87.7K

$0.71 ฿23.66

38.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 LBP 90.6K

$0.32 ฿10.48

215.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿74.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 LBP 107.0K

$1.96 ฿65.0

-38.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 LBP 55.4K

$1.50 ฿49.83

-58.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 LBP 137.5K

$1.34 ฿44.32

14.93%

Eggs

$2.14 LBP 191.3K

$2.26 ฿75.1

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 LBP 789.9K

$16.26 ฿539

-45.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 LBP 719.2K

$2.95 ฿98.0

172.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 LBP 1.1M

$9.94 ฿330

21.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 LBP 264.7K

$2.57 ฿85.3

15.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 LBP 176.2K

$1.06 ฿35.04

85.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

$1.61 ฿53.5

-38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 LBP 181.8K

$1.52 ฿50.4

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 LBP 91.7K

$1.27 ฿42.14

-19.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 LBP 91.6K

$1.07 ฿35.37

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 LBP 88.0K

$0.72 ฿23.89

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 LBP 90.4K

$0.51 ฿16.87

98.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿139

Wine (Bottle)

$3.93 LBP 351.7K

$17.87 ฿593

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 LBP 137.3K

$1.69 ฿56.2

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 LBP 177.2K

$2.84 ฿94.1

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 LBP 90.9K

$0.93 ฿30.70

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,787

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.95

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 LBP 87.1K

$0.58 ฿19.13

67.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿80.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

$1.41 ฿46.84

-34.75%

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

$22.5K LBP 2.0B

$21.4K ฿711.3K

4.74%

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

$22.7K LBP 2.0B

$27.3K ฿906.7K

-16.84%

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

$102 LBP 9.1M

$63.7 ฿2,112

59.54%

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

$22.37 LBP 2.0M

$12.85 ฿426

74.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.94 LBP 2.2M

$20.22 ฿671

23.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.04 LBP 3.4M

$38.74 ฿1,285

-1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.25 LBP 3.6M

$3.97 ฿132

913.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 LBP 890.8K

$6.74 ฿223

47.63%

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

$399 LBP 35.7M

$778 ฿25.8K

-48.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,040 LBP 272.1M

$14.6K ฿484.6K

-79.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 LBP 8.8M

$54.3 ฿1,801

81.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 LBP 9.1M

$25.45 ฿844

297.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 LBP 10.9M

$94.3 ฿3,129

29.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 LBP 13.7M

$73.4 ฿2,436

108.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 LBP 26.4M

$490 ฿16.2K

-39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 LBP 20.1M

$289 ฿9,596

-22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 LBP 71.5M

$894 ฿29.6K

-10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 LBP 35.4M

$517 ฿17.1K

-23.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,315 LBP 117.7M

$1,955 ฿64.9K

-32.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$851 LBP 76.2M

$1,477 ฿49.0K

-42.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,015 LBP 90.9M

$602 ฿20.0K

68.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Byblos: August 29, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Byblos and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 69% 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: $42.00 in Byblos vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $240, with Byblos cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Byblos, 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: $295 in Byblos versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $399 in Byblos versus $778 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $42.00 in Byblos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Chiang Mai versus $988 in Byblos, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Byblos. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Byblos, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Byblos 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 4% less than in Byblos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.