Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bel Air Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bel Air

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,059 in Bel Air.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $1,704 in Bel Air.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $2,350 in Bel Air.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 19% less than in Bel Air, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bel Air 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$6.80 MUR 318

-70.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$44.54 MUR 2,086

-57.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$7.01 MUR 328

12.13%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.13 MUR 53.0

79.65%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$1.00 MUR 46.94

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.56 MUR 26.03

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.61 MUR 75.3

32.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.35 MUR 157

9.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.70 MUR 79.5

1.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.65 MUR 30.55

141.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.33 MUR 62.1

-9.77%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.26 MUR 106

-12.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$12.09 MUR 566

34.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.01 MUR 282

-49.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$12.40 MUR 581

-12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.00 MUR 93.7

38.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$2.02 MUR 94.4

-42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.43 MUR 67.1

19.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$2.73 MUR 128

-41.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.99 MUR 46.60

40.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$1.00 MUR 47.03

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.81 MUR 37.74

-18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.80 MUR 37.65

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$6.57 MUR 308

-29.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$8.28 MUR 388

114.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.73 MUR 80.9

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.26 MUR 106

47.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$1.03 MUR 48.32

-11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$4.38 MUR 205

-67.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$2.61 MUR 122

-48.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$19.94 MUR 934

-59.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.40 MUR 65.6

-12.14%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-40.59%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

-22.98%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$48.67 MUR 2,280

46.56%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$18.13 MUR 849

-22.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$34.21 MUR 1,602

-47.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$38.64 MUR 1,810

5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$6.11 MUR 286

-6.38%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$155 MUR 7,278

98.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$3,926 MUR 183.9K

273.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$83.9 MUR 3,928

-33.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$80.9 MUR 3,791

-67.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$134 MUR 6,277

-36.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$93.9 MUR 4,400

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$516 MUR 24.2K

-18.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$358 MUR 16.8K

-32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$940 MUR 44.0K

-15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$733 MUR 34.3K

-30.90%

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 %)

6.67

-25.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bel Air: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $516 in Bel Air. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $45.00 in Bel Air. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $230, with Bel Air 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 Bel Air: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Bel Air. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,279 in Chiang Mai and $1,588 in Bel Air 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 $516 in Bel Air. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bel Air pay roughly 6% 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 $1,059 in Bel Air – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,059 in Bel Air, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bel Air. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bel Air 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 24% less than in Bel Air. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.