Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bensheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bensheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,017 in Bensheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $3,082 in Bensheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $4,147 in Bensheim.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 58% less than in Bensheim, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 36% below, Bensheim is 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$14.07 €12.19

-85.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$84.8 €73.4

-77.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$12.03 €10.42

-34.66%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$3.91 €3.39

-48.08%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$3.08 €2.66

-74.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$2.82 €2.44

-87.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$5.29 €4.58

-59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$4.54 €3.93

-19.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$1.23 €1.06

40.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$2.35 €2.04

-33.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$3.28 €2.84

-63.41%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$3.83 €3.32

-48.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$14.90 €12.91

8.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$13.66 €11.83

-77.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$19.82 €17.16

-45.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$3.20 €2.77

-13.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.81 €1.57

-35.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.24 €1.94

-23.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$5.19 €4.49

-69.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$1.47 €1.27

-5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$1.51 €1.31

-23.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$1.89 €1.64

-65.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$1.12 €0.97

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$9.26 €8.02

-49.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$5.82 €5.04

205.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.00 €0.86

79.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.63 €1.41

104.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$3.48 €3.01

-73.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$60.9 €52.7

-69.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$5.83 €5.05

-75.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$2.26 €1.95

-40.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$34.12 €29.54

-76.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.98 €1.71

-37.88%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$31.6K €27.4K

-32.18%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$37.9K €32.8K

-42.38%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$343 €297

-79.22%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$25.34 €21.94

-44.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$51.1 €44.25

-64.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$39.30 €34.04

3.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$23.18 €20.07

-70.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$14.69 €12.72

-61.06%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$530 €459

-41.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$6,428 €5,567

128.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$75.0 €65.0

-25.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$36.48 €31.59

-28.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$104 €89.9

-18.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$124 €108

-42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$839 €726

-49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$669 €579

-63.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$1,547 €1,339

-48.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$1,248 €1,081

-59.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$4,853 €4,203

-60.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$3,718 €3,219

-60.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,491 €3,889

-86.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

44.09%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $839 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 655% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $85.0 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $347 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bensheim differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $2,017 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 655% lower in Bensheim. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $839 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Chiang Mai versus $530 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Bensheim. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $2,017 in Bensheim, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bensheim. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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 Bensheim 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 137% less than in Bensheim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.