Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bechar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bechar: $522 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Bechar
Learn more

Bechar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bechar

🇩🇿 Algeria

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $522 in Bechar.

Chiang Mai $936
Bechar $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $867 in Bechar.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bechar $867

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,211 in Bechar.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bechar $1,211

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 79% more expensive than in Bechar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bechar 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.63 DZD 488

-38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$17.19 DZD 2,314

10.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.20 DZD 566

32.14%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$0.71 DZD 95.7

135.21%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.56 DZD 75.5

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.26 DZD 34.44

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.45 DZD 196

62.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.02 DZD 272

81.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.91 DZD 123

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.15 DZD 20.32

860.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.15 DZD 155

15.65%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.20 DZD 162

90.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$8.21 DZD 1,106

100.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.02 DZD 541

-30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.12 DZD 1,902

-34.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.02 DZD 272

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$2.79 DZD 376

-65.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.11 DZD 149

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.92 DZD 123

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.58 DZD 77.7

120.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.46 DZD 62.0

139.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.71 DZD 96.1

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.25 DZD 34.30

96.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.69 DZD 362

53.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.43 DZD 865

172.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.42 DZD 191

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.76 DZD 237

57.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.26 DZD 34.62

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$5.92 DZD 797

813.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.52 DZD 70.2

123.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.48 DZD 65.0

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.88 DZD 792

-58.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.39 DZD 52.2

271.79%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.0K DZD 3.8M

-24.88%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.1K DZD 4.3M

-16.13%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$38.28 DZD 5,155

62.41%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.43 DZD 1,269

29.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$13.44 DZD 1,810

49.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$23.74 DZD 3,197

57.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.62 DZD 623

40.48%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$367 DZD 49.4K

100.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$5,430 DZD 731.2K

171.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$29.71 DZD 4,001

79.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$30.21 DZD 4,069

-18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$69.4 DZD 9,339

31.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$79.8 DZD 10.8K

-9.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$123 DZD 16.6K

291.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$84.4 DZD 11.4K

266.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$283 DZD 38.1K

255.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$219 DZD 29.4K

189.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$941 DZD 126.8K

151.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,105 DZD 148.8K

43.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bechar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bechar

$84 16.2% 72.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bechar

$175 33.5% 25.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bechar

$94 18% 13.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bechar

$61 11.7% 35.3% $33

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bechar

$65 12.4% 16.6% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bechar

$9.9 1.9% 83.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bechar

$33 6.3% 34.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $123 in Bechar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $17 in Bechar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $175 per month, with Bechar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Bechar

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

19:48 7:48 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

165,627

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.67 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bechar 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bechar

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 Bechar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bechar wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bechar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $783 in Bechar 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $123 in Bechar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bechar – a meal for two runs $17 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $522 in Bechar – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $522 in Bechar versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bechar but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bechar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bechar 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 Bechar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.