Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beau Vallon Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beau Vallon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $872 in Chiang Mai versus $982 in Beau Vallon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,337 in Chiang Mai versus $1,590 in Beau Vallon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,802 in Chiang Mai versus $2,198 in Beau Vallon.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 11% less than in Beau Vallon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Beau Vallon 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ฿64.5

$6.52 MUR 301

-69.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.23 ฿584

$44.01 MUR 2,035

-58.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ฿245

$6.69 MUR 309

14.35%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿61.5

$2.58 MUR 119

-25.58%

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

$0.84 ฿26.97

$1.03 MUR 47.48

-18.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.42

$0.59 MUR 27.39

-38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 ฿70.2

$2.13 MUR 98.3

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿121

$2.68 MUR 124

41.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿52.5

$1.46 MUR 67.4

12.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿52.0

$0.70 MUR 32.54

131.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.98

$1.29 MUR 59.5

-10.85%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿62.2

$2.34 MUR 108

-17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 ฿511

$9.74 MUR 450

63.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ฿99.5

$6.34 MUR 293

-51.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ฿355

$10.63 MUR 491

4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿86.8

$2.07 MUR 95.6

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿37.80

$2.00 MUR 92.4

-41.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿54.7

$1.50 MUR 69.3

14.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$2.65 MUR 123

-39.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿44.66

$0.97 MUR 45.00

43.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ฿36.81

$1.00 MUR 46.38

15.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿22.83

$0.83 MUR 38.43

-14.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿17.65

$0.57 MUR 26.19

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 ฿146

$6.22 MUR 288

-26.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.87 ฿605

$7.91 MUR 366

138.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.72 MUR 79.7

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ฿103

$2.18 MUR 101

47.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.24

$0.99 MUR 45.91

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.89 ฿606

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.30

$4.28 MUR 198

-67.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 ฿41.71

$2.66 MUR 123

-51.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 ฿263

$15.11 MUR 699

-45.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.29

$1.41 MUR 65.3

-12.77%

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

$21.2K ฿678.9K

$35.5K MUR 1.6M

-40.30%

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

$22.3K ฿715.3K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

-21.48%

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

$69.9 ฿2,240

$50.4 MUR 2,333

38.52%

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

$14.07 ฿451

$18.20 MUR 842

-22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.70 ฿567

$32.22 MUR 1,490

-45.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.41 ฿1,328

$38.24 MUR 1,769

8.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.69 ฿215

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ฿184

$5.96 MUR 276

-3.69%

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

$299 ฿9,593

$154 MUR 7,137

93.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿481.2K

$3,953 MUR 182.8K

279.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,758

$50.4 MUR 2,333

8.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.35 ฿845

$44.64 MUR 2,065

-40.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ฿2,714

$83.3 MUR 3,851

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,236

$79.4 MUR 3,672

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 ฿13.7K

$509 MUR 23.5K

-16.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,718

$349 MUR 16.2K

-31.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.0K

$947 MUR 43.8K

-14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.0K

$733 MUR 33.9K

-32.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 ฿64.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,524 ฿48.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 ฿20.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

-20.00%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 13, 2026

Last update for Beau Vallon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Chiang Mai and $509 in Beau Vallon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Chiang Mai vs $44 in Beau Vallon. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $214, with Beau Vallon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Beau Vallon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,308 in Chiang Mai and $1,474 in Beau Vallon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $427 in Chiang Mai versus $509 in Beau Vallon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Beau Vallon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $872 per month in Chiang Mai versus $982 in Beau Vallon – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $872 in Chiang Mai versus $982 in Beau Vallon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Beau Vallon. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Beau Vallon 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Beau Vallon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.