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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $893 in Balikesir, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,484 in Balikesir, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,076 in Balikesir, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Balikesir, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Chiang Mai and Balikesir are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Balikesir 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$7.68 ₺357

-74.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$26.17 ₺1,215

-29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$7.83 ₺363

0.51%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$2.42 ₺112

-19.42%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.02 ₺47.13

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.36 ₺16.48

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$2.50 ₺116

-14.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$3.49 ₺162

5.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$0.93 ₺43.12

78.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$0.50 ₺23.09

212.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$1.21 ₺56.1

-1.65%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.93 ₺89.6

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$7.90 ₺367

105.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$5.30 ₺246

-40.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

$18.06 ₺838

-39.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.58 ₺73.4

67.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$2.45 ₺114

-50.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$1.48 ₺68.6

11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$1.53 ₺71.0

1.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$0.71 ₺32.88

87.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$0.62 ₺28.70

95.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$0.92 ₺42.81

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.54 ₺24.99

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$2.32 ₺107

101.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$9.90 ₺459

71.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.41 ₺112

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$3.36 ₺156

-5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.61 ₺28.12

49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

$28.94 ₺1,343

-35.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$1.97 ₺91.5

-28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.65 ₺30.11

106.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$8.86 ₺411

-8.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$1.14 ₺53.0

12.28%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$41.2K ₺1.9M

-47.02%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$43.8K ₺2.0M

-48.90%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$64.0 ₺2,970

10.16%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$11.86 ₺551

18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$12.05 ₺559

46.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$56.7 ₺2,631

-27.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

$12.70 ₺590

-46.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$5.44 ₺253

9.56%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$846 ₺39.3K

-64.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$5,393 ₺250.3K

177.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$32.26 ₺1,498

69.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$41.29 ₺1,916

-36.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$90.4 ₺4,196

-5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$64.5 ₺2,993

8.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$415 ₺19.2K

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$253 ₺11.7K

-5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$895 ₺41.5K

-9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$601 ₺27.9K

-15.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

$1,255 ₺58.3K

61.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$814 ₺37.8K

84.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

$1,020 ₺47.3K

-38.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

29.75

-83.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $415 in Balikesir. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 64% higher in Balikesir, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $26.00 in Balikesir. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Chiang Mai vs $219 in Balikesir – so Balikesir 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 Balikesir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balikesir costs about 5% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,339 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $848 in Chiang Mai and $893 in Balikesir. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $848 in Chiang Mai and $893 in Balikesir, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $848 versus $893 in Balikesir. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Balikesir makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.