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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $920 per month in Chiang Mai vs $679 in Bakuriani, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,109 in Bakuriani, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,895 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,538 in Bakuriani, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Bakuriani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Bakuriani are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 33% lower, Bakuriani 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$11.28 ₾29.36

-81.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$30.77 ₾80.1

-35.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$9.31 ₾24.24

-37.16%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$3.34 ₾8.70

-47.31%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$1.02 ₾2.65

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.52 ₾1.37

-36.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$1.75 ₾4.56

41.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$2.36 ₾6.14

64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$2.11 ₾5.50

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.64 ₾1.68

160.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$1.57 ₾4.08

-14.01%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$2.65 ₾6.90

-19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$9.45 ₾24.61

68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$6.02 ₾15.68

-52.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

$9.95 ₾25.91

5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.36 ₾3.55

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$1.92 ₾5.01

-44.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$1.31 ₾3.40

16.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$2.11 ₾5.48

-28.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.89 ₾2.32

43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.58 ₾1.50

89.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$1.50 ₾3.91

-54.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.70 ₾1.83

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.04 ₾7.92

40.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$5.64 ₾14.68

197.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.42 ₾3.71

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.07 ₾5.38

35.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$1.18 ₾3.06

1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.67 ₾1.75

-19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$11.70 ₾30.47

-79.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.36 ₾3.54

5.15%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$15.7K ₾41.0K

34.01%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$20.5K ₾53.4K

32.36%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$73.0 ₾190

-11.30%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$9.48 ₾24.69

39.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$15.45 ₾40.22

25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$6.96 ₾18.11

-4.89%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$284 ₾740

183.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$3,271 ₾8,518

362.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$94.0 ₾245

-41.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$40.94 ₾107

-37.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$140 ₾366

-34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$99.9 ₾260

-25.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.4

-55.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bakuriani: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $31.00 in Bakuriani. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $208 in Bakuriani – so Bakuriani wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Bakuriani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 35% more than Bakuriani, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,019 in Bakuriani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $920 in Chiang Mai and $679 in Bakuriani. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in Chiang Mai and $284 in Bakuriani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bakuriani, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Chiang Mai at $920. In Bakuriani it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bakuriani costs $679 versus $920 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bakuriani. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.