Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bambous

For one person, living is cheaper in Bambous: $544 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bambous
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Bambous Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bambous

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bambous

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $544 in Bambous.

Chiang Mai $936
Bambous $544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $915 in Bambous.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bambous $915

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,286 in Bambous.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bambous $1,286

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 72% more expensive than in Bambous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bambous 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.34 MUR 202

-48.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$38.18 MUR 1,779

-50.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.36 MUR 203

27.29%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.13 MUR 99.4

-21.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.08 MUR 50.1

-40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.43 MUR 20.24

-27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.63 MUR 123

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.63 MUR 75.8

124.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.16 MUR 53.9

68.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.72 MUR 33.72

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.07 MUR 49.89

24.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.53 MUR 118

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.22 MUR 243

215.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.27 MUR 152

-14.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$4.16 MUR 194

123.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.14 MUR 99.8

9.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.69 MUR 125

-63.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.44 MUR 67.3

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.01 MUR 140

-50.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.96 MUR 44.61

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$0.94 MUR 43.93

17.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.73 MUR 34.14

-2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.84 MUR 39.11

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.29 MUR 293

-34.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.40 MUR 391

108.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.64 MUR 76.6

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.40 MUR 112

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$4.15 MUR 193

-72.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$3.17 MUR 148

-83.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$21.38 MUR 996

-88.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.37 MUR 64.0

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-42.98%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$31.5K MUR 1.5M

-14.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$45.44 MUR 2,117

36.82%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.66 MUR 497

14.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$28.69 MUR 1,336

-29.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.50 MUR 303

-0.15%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$130 MUR 6,035

468.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$7,619 MUR 354.9K

93.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$77.0 MUR 3,589

-30.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$73.9 MUR 3,441

-66.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$122 MUR 5,671

-24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$78.0 MUR 3,633

-7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bambous: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bambous

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bambous

$173 31.8% 26.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bambous

$158 29% 45.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bambous

$85 15.6% 10.2% $9.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bambous

$96 17.6% 23.6% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bambous

$20 * 3.7% 67.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bambous

$13 * 2.4% 74.1% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $38 in Bambous. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $173, with Bambous cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇺 Bambous

🕒 Local time

02:45 2:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

15,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MUR = 2.15 USD

100 MUR = 1.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bambous 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bambous

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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $544 in Bambous, so Bambous is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $817 in Bambous 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.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $130 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $38 in Bambous. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bambous gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Bambous are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.