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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $983 in Beau Vallon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $1,581 in Beau Vallon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $2,179 in Beau Vallon.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 13% less than in Beau Vallon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Beau Vallon 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$6.70 MUR 314

-69.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$43.71 MUR 2,047

-57.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$6.56 MUR 307

19.82%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.68 MUR 125

-24.25%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.94 MUR 44.12

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.59 MUR 27.79

-40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.14 MUR 100

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.74 MUR 128

33.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.52 MUR 71.1

13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.71 MUR 33.32

121.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.32 MUR 62.1

-9.09%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.28 MUR 107

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$9.64 MUR 452

68.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.35 MUR 298

-51.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$10.29 MUR 482

4.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.00 MUR 93.5

38.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.97 MUR 92.3

-40.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.45 MUR 67.9

17.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$2.65 MUR 124

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$1.03 MUR 48.16

34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.94 MUR 44.01

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.79 MUR 37.10

-16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.56 MUR 26.42

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$6.04 MUR 283

-23.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$9.05 MUR 424

96.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.79 MUR 84.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.11 MUR 99.0

58.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$1.05 MUR 48.96

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$4.36 MUR 204

-67.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$2.70 MUR 126

-50.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$15.33 MUR 718

-47.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.47 MUR 68.9

-16.33%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-39.47%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-25.30%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$49.74 MUR 2,330

43.41%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$18.30 MUR 857

-23.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$32.80 MUR 1,536

-45.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$37.72 MUR 1,767

8.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$6.16 MUR 289

-7.14%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$152 MUR 7,130

102.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$3,891 MUR 182.3K

277.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$49.81 MUR 2,333

11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$43.92 MUR 2,057

-40.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$82.7 MUR 3,872

2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$78.4 MUR 3,673

-9.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$507 MUR 23.7K

-16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$350 MUR 16.4K

-30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$937 MUR 43.9K

-14.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$725 MUR 34.0K

-30.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Beau Vallon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $507 in Beau Vallon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $44.00 in Beau Vallon. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $215, 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 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,279 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $507 in Beau Vallon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Beau Vallon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $852 per month in Chiang Mai versus $983 in Beau Vallon – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $983 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 15% less than in Beau Vallon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.