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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,072 in Charleroi versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,978 in Charleroi versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,884 in Charleroi versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Charleroi is roughly 122% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleroi is 51% above, Chiang Mai is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.02 €20.08

$2.08 ฿69.2

1006.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 €74.2

$19.61 ฿652

333.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.68 €11.93

$5.67 ฿188

141.27%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.81 ฿60.0

71.27%

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

$2.20 €1.91

$0.77 ฿25.52

185.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.96

$0.35 ฿11.47

542.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.97

$2.21 ฿73.5

54.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 €3.71

$3.79 ฿126

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$2.05 ฿68.0

-42.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 €2.33

$1.51 ฿50.3

77.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.40 ฿46.47

63.57%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.29

$2.26 ฿75.0

66.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 €15.60

$16.19 ฿538

10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 €10.90

$2.90 ฿96.2

331.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 €19.66

$9.42 ฿313

139.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.26

$2.68 ฿89.0

-3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.10

$1.09 ฿36.20

121.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$1.62 ฿53.7

64.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 €3.05

$1.46 ฿48.51

139.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 €1.94

$1.28 ฿42.45

73.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.06 ฿35.14

12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.23

$0.72 ฿23.83

95.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.60

$0.53 ฿17.48

30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.87 €11.23

$4.23 ฿140

204.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.27

$18.29 ฿608

-48.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.63 ฿54.2

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.87

$2.90 ฿96.4

-25.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 €2.69

$0.88 ฿29.17

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.44 €37.02

$53.8 ฿1,786

-21.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 €5.12

$1.17 ฿38.96

401.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 €2.36

$0.58 ฿19.21

365.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.31 €39.51

$2.39 ฿79.2

1795.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.45 ฿48.17

31.72%

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

$31.3K €27.3K

$21.0K ฿698.0K

49.20%

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

$33.7K €29.4K

$26.4K ฿877.8K

27.54%

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

$210 €183

$63.7 ฿2,114

230.12%

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

$22.45 €19.58

$12.89 ฿428

74.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.18 €42.01

$20.52 ฿682

134.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.07 €27.96

$39.02 ฿1,296

-17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.85 €25.16

$3.92 ฿130

635.97%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 €13.75

$6.58 ฿219

139.67%

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

$1,679 €1,464

$784 ฿26.0K

114.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.1K

$14.7K ฿487.4K

17.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €99.0

$55.1 ฿1,831

105.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 €47.59

$24.74 ฿822

120.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.1

$94.1 ฿3,127

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 €80.2

$74.0 ฿2,457

24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 €711

$490 ฿16.3K

66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 €733

$288 ฿9,574

191.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 €933

$891 ฿29.6K

19.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 €925

$521 ฿17.3K

103.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,040 €2,651

$1,974 ฿65.6K

54.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,059 €2,667

$1,444 ฿48.0K

111.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,321 €2,025

$602 ฿20.0K

285.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Charleroi: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Charleroi and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Charleroi pays 286% 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: $85.0 in Charleroi vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $241 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Charleroi and Chiang Mai differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,072 vs $932 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 286% higher in Charleroi, 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: $815 in Charleroi versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 27% less than in Charleroi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,679 in Charleroi versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $2,072 in Charleroi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Charleroi. 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, Charleroi 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 122% less than in Charleroi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.