Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Best

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,198 in Best, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Best
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Best Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Best

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,198 in Best, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Best $2,198

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,057 in Best, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Best $3,057

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,915 in Best, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Best $3,915

Chiang Mai is about 57% cheaper than Best, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Best is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$22.20 €19.92

-89.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$85.9 €77.1

-77.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$12.39 €11.12

-55.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.50 €3.14

-52.29%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$3.22 €2.89

-80.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$2.57 €2.31

-87.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$5.68 €5.10

-58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.82 €4.33

-24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.12 €1.00

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.92 €1.72

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$2.14 €1.92

-37.85%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$3.18 €2.85

-28.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$11.09 €9.95

48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$11.14 €10.00

-75.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$14.90 €13.37

-37.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.96 €1.76

19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.58 €1.42

-38.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.72 €1.54

-6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$5.12 €4.60

-70.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.15 €1.03

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.17 €1.05

-5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.05 €0.94

-32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.78 €0.70

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$11.25 €10.10

-63.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.74 €5.15

205.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.43 €1.28

12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.63 €2.36

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.49 €2.23

-65.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$72.7 €65.2

-25.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$3.86 €3.47

-69.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$2.84 €2.55

-81.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$29.53 €26.49

-91.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$2.41 €2.16

-39.83%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$26.5K €23.8K

-20.47%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$38.7K €34.7K

-30.43%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$184 €165

-66.13%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$14.85 €13.33

-18.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$38.38 €34.44

-47.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$40.88 €36.68

-8.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$25.29 €22.70

-85.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$13.55 €12.16

-52.10%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$1,260 €1,131

-41.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$5,129 €4,602

187.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$51.1 €45.87

4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$33.16 €29.75

-25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$72.5 €65.0

26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$57.8 €51.8

24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,534 €1,376

-68.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,098 €985

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,990 €1,785

-49.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,347 €1,209

-52.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$5,622 €5,045

-57.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$4,407 €3,954

-63.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$4,005 €3,593

-85.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.54

57.34%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Best: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Best

$1.1K 50% 256% $789

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Best

$280 12.8% 19.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Best

$97 4.4% 11.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Best

$237 10.8% 151% $142

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Best

$318 14.5% 310% $240

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Best

$101 4.6% 64.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Best

$68 3.1% 35.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,534 in Best. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Best are about 6.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $86 in Best. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $280 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇱 Best

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

23:13 11:13 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

29,988

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.897 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Best 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Best

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 Best: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Best is pricier by about 135%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,298 in Best. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $1,534 in Best.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,198 in Best. That makes Chiang Mai about 57% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,198 in Best. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $2,198 in Best. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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