Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Belmopan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,069 in Belmopan, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Belmopan

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Belmopan

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,069 in Belmopan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Belmopan $1,069

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,541 in Belmopan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Belmopan $1,541

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,013 in Belmopan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Belmopan $2,013

Chiang Mai is about 13% cheaper than Belmopan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chiang Mai and Belmopan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Belmopan 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$7.64 BZD 15.28

-70.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$17.40 BZD 34.80

12.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.49 BZD 14.98

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$5.58 BZD 11.16

-70.25%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.65 BZD 1.30

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.52 BZD 1.03

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.46 BZD 2.93

65.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.22 BZD 4.44

67.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$2.41 BZD 4.83

-19.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.68 BZD 3.36

-16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.68 BZD 3.35

-22.02%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.92 BZD 3.84

13.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.86 BZD 17.72

87.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$6.52 BZD 13.05

-57.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$12.27 BZD 24.54

-25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.11 BZD 2.22

-7.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.24 BZD 4.47

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$5.50 BZD 11.01

-72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$17.31 BZD 34.62

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.22 BZD 4.43

-28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.27 BZD 4.54

25.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$3.96 BZD 7.93

-78.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$3.15 BZD 6.31

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$4.01 BZD 8.02

-85.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.77 BZD 3.54

-18.64%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$147 BZD 294

-57.53%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$49.75 BZD 99.5

-75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$38.03 BZD 76.1

-47.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$44.64 BZD 89.3

-16.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$9.23 BZD 18.46

-29.58%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$442 BZD 884

3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$320 BZD 641

-7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$542 BZD 1,084

2.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Belmopan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Belmopan

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Belmopan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Belmopan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Belmopan

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Belmopan

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Belmopan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Belmopan

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $442 in Belmopan. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $17.00 in Belmopan. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $245 in Belmopan – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇿 Belmopan

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

05:38 5:38 AM

13 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

14,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Belmopan 15,920 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Belmopan

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 Belmopan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai, $1,069 in Belmopan – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,603 in Belmopan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $17.00 in Belmopan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $925 in Chiang Mai and $1,069 in Belmopan. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Belmopan at $1,069. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belmopan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Chiang Mai to $1,069 in Belmopan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belmopan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.