Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beit Shemesh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $3,069 in Beit Shemesh, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Beit Shemesh
🇮🇱 Israel
$3,069
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Beit Shemesh

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,069 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Beit Shemesh $3,069

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,657 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Beit Shemesh $4,657

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $6,246 in Beit Shemesh, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Beit Shemesh $6,246

Chiang Mai is about 70% cheaper than Beit Shemesh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Beit Shemesh is 125% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$26.42 ₪82.9
-91.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$128 ₪402
-85.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$19.98 ₪62.7
-72.22%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$5.53 ₪17.35
-69.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.53
$4.00 ₪12.53
-84.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.30
$3.02 ₪9.48
-89.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.5
$10.40 ₪32.60
-77.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$10.58 ₪33.16
-65.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.7
$2.47 ₪7.74
-21.05%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.45
$4.62 ₪14.50
-68.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.01
$3.78 ₪11.86
-64.81%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.0
$5.22 ₪16.36
-56.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$21.27 ₪66.7
-22.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.8
$16.09 ₪50.5
-82.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$25.49 ₪79.9
-63.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$4.55 ₪14.27
-48.35%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.78
$3.88 ₪12.18
-75.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$2.43 ₪7.64
-34.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$3.26 ₪10.22
-53.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.10
$1.92 ₪6.01
-33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.17
$1.92 ₪6.01
-42.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.81
$2.73 ₪8.56
-73.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.36
$2.63 ₪8.23
-81.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$14.84 ₪46.54
-72.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$16.43 ₪51.5
6.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$3.68 ₪11.55
-56.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$4.80 ₪15.04
-42.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.29
$2.62 ₪8.21
-66.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,825
$114 ₪358
-52.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.03
$4.40 ₪13.81
-73.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.79
$1.14 ₪3.56
-53.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.7
$19.16 ₪60.1
-87.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.87
$2.34 ₪7.32
-38.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.3K
$55.8K ₪174.8K
-62.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.7K
$55.0K ₪172.3K
-50.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,097
$439 ₪1,376
-85.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿410
$11.29 ₪35.41
7.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$34.95 ₪110
-42.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$84.2 ₪264
-55.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$15.84 ₪49.66
-59.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$1,679 ₪5,264
-56.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.0K
$30.8K ₪96.6K
-52.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,800
$125 ₪391
-57.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$85.4 ₪268
-71.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,086
$176 ₪552
-48.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,426
$194 ₪607
-62.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$1,355 ₪4,249
-64.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$1,121 ₪3,514
-72.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$2,639 ₪8,277
-61.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$1,969 ₪6,175
-67.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.7K
$11.0K ₪34.4K
-78.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
$6,679 ₪20.9K
-76.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Beit Shemesh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.03
10.74%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Beit Shemesh: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Beit Shemesh
$1.1K 263% $812
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Beit Shemesh
$513 119% $278
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Beit Shemesh
$261 140% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Beit Shemesh
$485 413% $390
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Beit Shemesh
$439 466% $361
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Beit Shemesh
$135 120% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Beit Shemesh
$116 131% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,355 in Beit Shemesh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $128 in Beit Shemesh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $513 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇮🇱 Beit Shemesh
🕒 Local time
21:39 9:39 PM
16:39 4:39 PM
5 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
124,445
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

ILS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.14 ILS (1 ILS = 0.319 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Beit Shemesh 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Beit Shemesh

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 Beit Shemesh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Beit Shemesh?
Yes – Beit Shemesh is pricier by about 228%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,603 in Beit Shemesh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,355 in Beit Shemesh.
How do food prices compare in Chiang Mai and in Beit Shemesh?
Groceries cost about 119% more in Beit Shemesh, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Chiang Mai or in Beit Shemesh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $128 in Beit Shemesh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Chiang Mai or in Beit Shemesh?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $3,069 in Beit Shemesh. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Chiang Mai or Beit Shemesh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Chiang Mai or Beit Shemesh?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 70% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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