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: $1,869 in Charleroi versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,771 in Charleroi versus $1,360 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,673 in Charleroi versus $1,867 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Charleroi is roughly 119% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Charleroi is 40% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 €15.01

$2.04 ฿68.2

749.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$18.71 ฿624

238.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.69

$7.86 ฿262

42.37%

Cappuccino

$2.93 €2.54

$2.03 ฿67.7

44.33%

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

$2.96 €2.57

$0.80 ฿26.64

270.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.03

$0.35 ฿11.68

568.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.95

$2.14 ฿71.5

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.45

$3.67 ฿122

-22.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.73 ฿57.6

-40.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.57 ฿52.4

62.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.32

$1.20 ฿39.99

123.33%

Eggs

$4.15 €3.59

$1.97 ฿65.8

110.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.15 €15.72

$16.23 ฿541

11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 €10.16

$3.06 ฿102

283.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 €17.06

$10.80 ฿360

82.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.77 ฿92.3

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.17 ฿38.94

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$1.71 ฿57.0

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 €3.00

$1.59 ฿53.2

117.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.39 ฿46.51

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.16 ฿38.56

108.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.66 ฿22.05

78.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.52 ฿17.31

34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 €9.63

$4.65 ฿155

139.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 €7.71

$17.78 ฿593

-49.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.79 ฿59.6

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.75

$3.34 ฿111

-39.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €2.99

$0.91 ฿30.27

279.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.93 €29.39

$18.64 ฿622

82.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.89 €5.10

$1.41 ฿47.04

317.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.34 ฿44.70

3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.59 €40.35

$8.11 ฿270

474.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.23 ฿41.16

55.28%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$21.4K ฿715.1K

44.30%

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

$31.9K €27.6K

$21.8K ฿728.0K

46.24%

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

$205 €178

$71.3 ฿2,379

187.52%

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

$19.10 €16.54

$14.01 ฿467

36.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €45.43

$17.93 ฿598

192.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 €27.95

$40.82 ฿1,362

-20.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.03 €14.75

$6.88 ฿230

147.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 €13.10

$5.72 ฿191

164.51%

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

$660 €571

$308 ฿10.3K

113.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.9K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-6.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.6

$55.8 ฿1,860

99.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.47 €41.98

$26.04 ฿869

86.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €79.2

$84.8 ฿2,829

7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.9 €79.5

$71.0 ฿2,368

29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 €601

$423 ฿14.1K

63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 €643

$242 ฿8,088

206.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 €1,190

$797 ฿26.6K

72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €958

$507 ฿16.9K

118.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,930 €2,537

$1,918 ฿64.0K

52.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,951 €2,556

$1,464 ฿48.8K

101.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €1,991

$595 ฿19.9K

286.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

-34.60%

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

Last update for Charleroi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Charleroi and $423 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: $63.0 in Charleroi vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $244 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 119% in total monthly costs ($1,869 vs $852 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: $694 in Charleroi versus $423 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 82% less than in Charleroi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $660 in Charleroi versus $308 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,869 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 119% less than in Charleroi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.