Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Beyla

For one person, living is cheaper in Beyla: $204 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$938

/mo nomad

Beyla

🇬🇳 Guinea

$204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $204 in Beyla.

Chiang Mai $938
Beyla $204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $413 in Beyla.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Beyla $413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $621 in Beyla.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Beyla $621

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 359% more expensive than in Beyla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Beyla 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$13.81 GNF 121.6K

-83.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$30.65 GNF 269.9K

-37.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.12 GNF 9,836

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.16 GNF 10.3K

93.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.17 GNF 19.1K

10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$2.14 GNF 18.9K

-52.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.23 GNF 19.6K

-27.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.25 GNF 19.8K

-32.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$2.23 GNF 19.6K

-42.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$2.26 GNF 19.9K

-50.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.01 GNF 8,902

-28.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.98 GNF 8,635

-46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$0.97 GNF 8,551

346.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.46 GNF 12.8K

11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$1,965 GNF 17.3M

-69.70%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Beyla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Beyla

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Beyla

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Beyla

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Beyla

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Beyla

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Beyla

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Beyla

–

Cost Breakdown

Beyla pays 230% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $31.00 in Beyla. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $94.0, with Beyla cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇳 Beyla

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

05:01 5:01 AM

7 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

13,204

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Guinean Franc GNF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 GNF = 1.14 USD

10,000 GNF = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GNF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Guinean Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 8,807 GNF (10,000 GNF = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 9,901 GNF (10,000 GNF = 1.01 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Beyla 11,520 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Beyla

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 Beyla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beyla wins on cost – living expenses run 359% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Beyla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Beyla. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Chiang Mai versus $204 in Beyla – a 359% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $204 in Beyla versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Beyla but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Beyla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Beyla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Beyla hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Beyla 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 Beyla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 359% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.