Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bac Giang

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Giang: $783 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bac Giang
Learn more

Bac Giang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bac Giang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bac Giang

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 Bac Giang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $783 in Bac Giang.

Chiang Mai $935
Bac Giang $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $1,221 in Bac Giang.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bac Giang $1,221

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,659 in Bac Giang.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bac Giang $1,659

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bac Giang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bac Giang 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$1.99 ₫51.2K

7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$15.22 ₫392.1K

22.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$4.39 ₫113.2K

27.56%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.92 ₫49.6K

-13.54%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.41 ₫10.5K

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.26 ₫6,657

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$0.80 ₫20.7K

190.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$0.99 ₫25.4K

270.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.54 ₫39.7K

31.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.99 ₫25.5K

42.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.77 ₫19.8K

80.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$1.52 ₫39.3K

55.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$12.06 ₫310.6K

36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$3.72 ₫95.8K

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

$9.60 ₫247.2K

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$3.16 ₫81.3K

-24.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$1.01 ₫26.1K

2.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.31 ₫33.8K

26.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.08 ₫27.8K

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.96 ₫24.7K

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$1.14 ₫29.4K

-4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.58 ₫15.0K

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.37 ₫35.3K

200.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$10.70 ₫275.5K

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.86 ₫22.1K

88.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$1.66 ₫42.9K

69.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.36 ₫9,346

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$7.49 ₫192.9K

606.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$0.95 ₫24.5K

24.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.56 ₫14.3K

-69.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.37 ₫61.1K

-23.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$0.98 ₫25.2K

50.00%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$31.5K ₫812.2M

-33.36%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$28.9K ₫744.4M

-8.24%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$85.4 ₫2.2M

-26.71%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$5.03 ₫129.5K

130.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$8.66 ₫223.0K

134.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$21.09 ₫543.3K

79.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$7.75 ₫199.7K

-52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$4.53 ₫116.6K

43.71%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$335 ₫8.6M

117.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$29.3K ₫753.9M

-43.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$45.69 ₫1.2M

17.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$28.39 ₫731.2K

-12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$85.5 ₫2.2M

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$73.3 ₫1.9M

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$145 ₫3.7M

230.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$282 ₫7.3M

9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$648 ₫16.7M

63.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$586 ₫15.1M

12.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$2,289 ₫59.0M

5.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,332 ₫34.3M

20.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.17

-31.82%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bac Giang

$282 36% 9.1% $28

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bac Giang

$194 24.8% 18.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bac Giang

$105 13.4% 3.3% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bac Giang

$99 12.7% 4.8% $4.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bac Giang

$61 7.8% 20.6% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bac Giang

$13 1.6% 78.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bac Giang

$30 3.9% 40.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $145 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $15 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $194 per month, with Bac Giang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇻🇳 Bac Giang

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

194,171

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 29,000 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bac Giang 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bac Giang

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 Bac Giang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Giang is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,175 in Bac Giang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $145 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Giang – a meal for two runs $15 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Chiang Mai and Bac Giang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bac Giang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.