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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,049 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $1,733 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $2,417 in Bel Ombre.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bel Ombre 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$6.74 MUR 316

-69.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$43.87 MUR 2,055

-57.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$7.09 MUR 332

10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.56 MUR 120

-20.70%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$1.03 MUR 48.42

-22.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.55 MUR 25.85

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.26 MUR 106

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.26 MUR 153

12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.71 MUR 79.9

1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.65 MUR 30.57

141.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.27 MUR 59.7

-5.51%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.26 MUR 106

-12.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$11.95 MUR 560

35.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$6.06 MUR 284

-49.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$12.55 MUR 588

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.97 MUR 92.4

40.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.94 MUR 91.0

-39.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.44 MUR 67.5

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$2.60 MUR 122

-38.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$1.03 MUR 48.24

34.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$1.00 MUR 46.79

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.79 MUR 37.13

-16.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.81 MUR 37.78

-35.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$6.79 MUR 318

-31.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$8.47 MUR 397

109.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.73 MUR 80.8

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.27 MUR 106

47.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$1.04 MUR 48.82

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$4.28 MUR 200

-67.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$2.72 MUR 128

-50.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$19.55 MUR 916

-58.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.46 MUR 68.3

-15.75%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-40.02%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$28.6K MUR 1.3M

-23.82%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$48.53 MUR 2,273

46.98%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$18.11 MUR 848

-22.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$33.67 MUR 1,577

-46.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$37.66 MUR 1,764

8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$5.99 MUR 281

-4.51%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$155 MUR 7,276

98.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$3,932 MUR 184.2K

273.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$86.1 MUR 4,034

-35.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$79.6 MUR 3,730

-67.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$131 MUR 6,114

-35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$93.7 MUR 4,387

-24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$511 MUR 23.9K

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$348 MUR 16.3K

-30.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$941 MUR 44.1K

-15.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$716 MUR 33.5K

-29.22%

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 Ombre: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $511 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $44.00 in Bel Ombre. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $230, with Bel Ombre 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 Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Bel Ombre. 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 $1,574 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $511 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Chiang Mai versus $155 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 $19.00 versus $44.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,049 in Bel Ombre, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bel Ombre. 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 Ombre 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 23% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.