Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bac Giang Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bac Giang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $772 in Bac Giang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,220 in Bac Giang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,667 in Bac Giang.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 21% more expensive than in Bac Giang, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bac Giang 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$1.90 ₫49.4K

9.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$15.33 ₫398.9K

27.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.46 ₫116.1K

27.13%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.90 ₫49.6K

-4.74%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.37 ₫9,523

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.26 ₫6,719

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.75 ₫19.6K

194.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$0.95 ₫24.7K

298.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$1.50 ₫39.0K

36.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$1.01 ₫26.3K

49.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.80 ₫20.8K

75.00%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$1.44 ₫37.6K

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$10.58 ₫275.2K

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.84 ₫99.9K

-24.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$9.82 ₫255.5K

-4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$3.13 ₫81.4K

-14.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$1.09 ₫28.5K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.33 ₫34.7K

21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$1.13 ₫29.5K

29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$0.98 ₫25.6K

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$1.12 ₫29.2K

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.59 ₫15.4K

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.55 ₫14.2K

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$1.42 ₫37.0K

197.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$12.29 ₫319.6K

48.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$0.87 ₫22.5K

87.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.67 ₫43.5K

73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.32 ₫8,294

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$6.58 ₫171.2K

717.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$0.80 ₫20.9K

46.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.56 ₫14.7K

3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$2.36 ₫61.5K

1.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$0.88 ₫23.0K

64.77%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$30.3K ₫787.8M

-30.60%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$30.9K ₫803.2M

-14.40%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$81.7 ₫2.1M

-22.06%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$4.96 ₫129.0K

159.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$8.93 ₫232.2K

129.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$22.35 ₫581.4K

74.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$7.59 ₫197.5K

-48.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$4.16 ₫108.3K

58.17%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$161 ₫4.2M

386.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$27.7K ₫719.5M

-46.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$49.98 ₫1.3M

10.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$27.03 ₫703.4K

-8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$82.6 ₫2.1M

13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$82.5 ₫2.1M

-10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$144 ₫3.8M

239.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$274 ₫7.1M

5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$754 ₫19.6M

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$611 ₫15.9M

-14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$2,868 ₫74.6M

-31.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$1,315 ₫34.2M

9.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$209 ₫5.4M

188.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.45

-34.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $144 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 188% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $15.00 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $194 per month, with Bac Giang 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

Chiang Mai vs Bac Giang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Giang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 188% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $144 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% 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 $15.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Bac Giang versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Giang but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Giang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bac Giang 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 Bac Giang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.