Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bel Ombre

For one person, living is cheaper in Bel Ombre: $628 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bel Ombre
Learn more

Bel Ombre Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bel Ombre

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bel Ombre

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $628 in Bel Ombre.

Chiang Mai $936
Bel Ombre $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,053 in Bel Ombre.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bel Ombre $1,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,477 in Bel Ombre.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bel Ombre $1,477

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 49% more expensive than in Bel Ombre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bel Ombre 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.00 MUR 279

-62.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$38.08 MUR 1,774

-50.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$7.60 MUR 354

-26.97%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.61 MUR 121

-36.02%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.13 MUR 52.7

-43.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.68 MUR 31.74

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.71 MUR 126

-12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.80 MUR 224

-23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.57 MUR 73.1

24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.77 MUR 36.07

87.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.11 MUR 51.9

19.82%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.65 MUR 123

-13.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.42 MUR 252

203.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$6.33 MUR 295

-56.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.25 MUR 524

-17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.89 MUR 135

-18.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$2.69 MUR 125

-63.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.46 MUR 68.1

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.02 MUR 141

-50.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.94 MUR 43.67

36.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.00 MUR 46.36

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.70 MUR 32.49

1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.92 MUR 42.92

-46.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$6.28 MUR 292

-34.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.28 MUR 386

111.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.65 MUR 77.1

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.38 MUR 111

16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$4.15 MUR 193

-72.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$3.19 MUR 149

-83.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$21.58 MUR 1,005

-88.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.35 MUR 62.9

7.41%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$37.1K MUR 1.7M

-43.20%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$30.6K MUR 1.4M

-11.91%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$45.18 MUR 2,105

37.61%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$10.41 MUR 485

16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$29.70 MUR 1,383

-32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$6.30 MUR 293

3.02%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$130 MUR 6,037

468.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$7,577 MUR 352.9K

94.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$78.5 MUR 3,657

-32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$74.5 MUR 3,469

-66.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$119 MUR 5,565

-23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$78.7 MUR 3,667

-8.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bel Ombre

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bel Ombre

$220 35% 6.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bel Ombre

$158 25.2% 45.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bel Ombre

$85 13.6% 9.7% $9.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bel Ombre

$132 21.1% 70.7% $55

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bel Ombre

$20 * 3.2% 67.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bel Ombre

$13 * 2% 75% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $38 in Bel Ombre. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $220, with Bel Ombre cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇺 Bel Ombre

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

3 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,417

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MUR = 2.15 USD

100 MUR = 1.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 46.58 MUR (100 MUR = 2.15 USD). 1 EUR = 52.21 MUR (100 MUR = 1.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bel Ombre 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bel Ombre

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 Bel Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $942 in Bel Ombre 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.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $130 in Bel Ombre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $38 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Bel Ombre versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre 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 Bel Ombre are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.