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 $920 per month in Chiang Mai vs $918 in Balikesir, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,448 in Balikesir, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,895 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,978 in Balikesir, rent included.

Chiang Mai and Balikesir have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$7.24 ₺348

-70.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$29.85 ₺1,433

-33.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$6.83 ₺328

-14.35%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$2.81 ₺135

-37.37%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.90 ₺43.39

-17.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.22 ₺10.58

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$2.12 ₺102

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$2.54 ₺122

52.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.86 ₺41.13

120.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$1.03 ₺49.65

62.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$1.96 ₺94.3

-31.12%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.97 ₺94.7

8.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$8.02 ₺385

98.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$3.99 ₺192

-29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

$18.59 ₺892

-43.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.63 ₺78.0

46.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$1.88 ₺90.2

-43.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$1.08 ₺51.7

40.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$1.04 ₺49.97

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.49 ₺23.62

161.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.36 ₺17.20

205.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.87 ₺41.73

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.75 ₺35.89

-34.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.34 ₺112

82.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$10.35 ₺497

62.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$2.29 ₺110

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.96 ₺142

-5.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.60 ₺28.89

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$26.08 ₺1,252

110.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$1.66 ₺79.6

-27.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$1.14 ₺54.6

-52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$4.21 ₺202

-43.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.25 ₺60.1

14.40%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$42.7K ₺2.0M

-50.60%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$42.3K ₺2.0M

-35.89%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$69.7 ₺3,347

-7.17%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$11.80 ₺567

11.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$12.84 ₺616

51.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$47.72 ₺2,290

-17.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$31.80 ₺1,526

-88.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$3.87 ₺186

71.06%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$480 ₺23.0K

67.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$12.5K ₺600.0K

20.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$25.14 ₺1,207

117.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$16.55 ₺794

53.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$84.5 ₺4,057

8.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$51.4 ₺2,466

45.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$386 ₺18.5K

20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$304 ₺14.6K

-7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$837 ₺40.2K

6.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$578 ₺27.8K

-9.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$1,164 ₺55.8K

70.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$841 ₺40.4K

73.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

$1,303 ₺62.5K

-54.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

40.17

-86.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chiang Mai versus $386 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 120% higher in Balikesir. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Balikesir. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $216 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,380 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,377 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $30.00 in Balikesir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Chiang Mai at $920. In Balikesir 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. Balikesir costs $918 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 Balikesir. 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.