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: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,043 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $1,736 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $2,430 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 17% less than in Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bel Ombre 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$6.44 MUR 303

-69.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$44.83 MUR 2,111

-58.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$7.11 MUR 335

9.00%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.60 MUR 122

-26.15%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$1.04 MUR 48.88

-24.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.57 MUR 26.64

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.14 MUR 101

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.33 MUR 157

9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$1.68 MUR 78.9

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.69 MUR 32.65

136.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$1.32 MUR 62.3

-9.85%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$2.34 MUR 110

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$11.66 MUR 549

37.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$6.02 MUR 283

-49.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

$12.50 MUR 588

-13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.98 MUR 93.3

39.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.92 MUR 90.6

-38.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.50 MUR 70.7

9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$2.74 MUR 129

-44.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$1.00 MUR 46.97

38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.93 MUR 43.73

27.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.79 MUR 37.06

-11.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.79 MUR 37.42

-29.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$6.63 MUR 312

-30.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$8.34 MUR 393

98.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.77 MUR 83.4

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.18 MUR 103

46.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$1.03 MUR 48.54

-14.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$4.44 MUR 209

-69.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$2.70 MUR 127

-50.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$20.14 MUR 948

-61.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.39 MUR 65.6

-11.51%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-39.40%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$28.2K MUR 1.3M

-20.19%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$49.67 MUR 2,339

42.02%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$18.19 MUR 857

-24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$33.38 MUR 1,572

-47.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$38.59 MUR 1,817

7.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$5.98 MUR 282

-3.51%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$151 MUR 7,116

103.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$3,888 MUR 183.1K

275.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$85.8 MUR 4,042

-35.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$80.4 MUR 3,785

-67.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$131 MUR 6,152

-34.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$93.2 MUR 4,387

-22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$514 MUR 24.2K

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$354 MUR 16.7K

-32.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$959 MUR 45.1K

-14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$712 MUR 33.5K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $514 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $45.00 in Bel Ombre. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $229, 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 20% 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 $1,303 in Chiang Mai and $1,564 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $514 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Chiang Mai versus $151 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 $45.00 in Bel Ombre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,043 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 $869 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 20% less than in Bel Ombre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.