Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ba'labakk

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $981 in Ba’labakk, rent and utilities included – about $540 less a year. The total is higher in Ba’labakk despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ba'labakk
Learn more

Ba'labakk Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ba'labakk

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ba'labakk

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $981 in Ba’labakk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ba'labakk $981

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,587 in Ba’labakk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ba'labakk $1,587

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,193 in Ba’labakk, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ba'labakk $2,193

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Ba’labakk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Ba’labakk are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ba’labakk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$12.22 LBP 1.1M

-81.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$70.2 LBP 6.3M

-72.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.82 LBP 878.7K

-43.48%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.50 LBP 402.6K

-62.89%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.31 LBP 206.6K

-72.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.89 LBP 79.7K

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.97 LBP 444.4K

-52.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.81 LBP 430.8K

-23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.91 LBP 171.3K

2.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.90 LBP 80.6K

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$2.28 LBP 203.7K

-41.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.52 LBP 315.4K

-35.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$11.14 LBP 997.0K

47.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$10.42 LBP 932.2K

-73.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.92 LBP 1.3M

-37.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.00 LBP 268.8K

-21.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.64 LBP 146.5K

-40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.66 LBP 148.8K

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.52 LBP 136.1K

-1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.24 LBP 111.3K

3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.59 LBP 142.6K

-30.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.17 LBP 105.0K

-39.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.73 LBP 65.6K

-32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.96 LBP 265.0K

39.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$10.92 LBP 977.3K

60.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.56 LBP 229.0K

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$4.87 LBP 435.8K

-76.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$2.19 LBP 196.4K

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$22.44 LBP 2.0M

-89.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.05 LBP 94.2K

38.10%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$52.5K LBP 4.7B

-59.88%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.4K LBP 2.9B

-16.90%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$211 LBP 18.9M

-70.58%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$23.21 LBP 2.1M

-47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$38.67 LBP 3.5M

-47.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.91 LBP 886.9K

-34.51%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$682 LBP 61.0M

8.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.5K LBP 938.3M

40.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$68.9 LBP 6.2M

-22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$49.38 LBP 4.4M

-50.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$137 LBP 12.3M

-33.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$120 LBP 10.8M

-40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ba'labakk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ba'labakk

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ba'labakk

$275 28% 17.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ba'labakk

$169 17.2% 55.6% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ba'labakk

$273 27.9% 189% $179

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ba'labakk

$228 23.3% 195% $151

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ba'labakk

$16 * 1.6% 74.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ba'labakk

$20 * 2% 60.6% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $70 in Ba’labakk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $275 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇱🇧 Ba'labakk

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

00:27 12:27 AM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,632 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ba'labakk 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ba'labakk

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

Chiang Mai vs Ba'labakk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ba’labakk is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,472 in Ba’labakk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $70 in Ba’labakk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Ba’labakk, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $981 in Ba’labakk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $981 in Ba’labakk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.