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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,192 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,868 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $2,544 in Bhisho.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 22% less than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bhisho 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$11.32 R 185

-81.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$43.45 R 712

-54.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.15 R 101

-7.80%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.24 R 36.63

-19.20%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$1.09 R 17.81

-29.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.80 R 13.13

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$2.78 R 45.51

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.35 R 54.8

13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.17 R 19.17

75.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.08 R 17.66

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$1.50 R 24.54

-6.67%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.91 R 47.60

-22.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$8.99 R 147

80.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$5.42 R 88.8

-46.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$8.62 R 141

9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.20 R 35.98

21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.58 R 25.90

-31.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.73 R 28.36

-6.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$1.85 R 30.26

-21.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$1.80 R 29.41

-28.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$1.43 R 23.36

-25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.27 R 20.83

-43.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$1.02 R 16.75

-48.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.36 R 55.0

25.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$4.92 R 80.6

271.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.32 R 21.61

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.85 R 30.32

56.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$1.52 R 24.87

-42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$25.05 R 410

114.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.65 R 10.60

80.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.52 R 8.51

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$8.70 R 143

-72.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.48 R 24.28

-2.03%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$36.5K R 597.1K

-42.36%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$34.8K R 569.7K

-24.04%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$126 R 2,071

-49.65%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$36.02 R 590

-64.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$46.52 R 762

-55.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$33.77 R 553

15.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$12.62 R 207

-68.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$10.83 R 177

-39.24%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$187 R 3,065

318.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$6,217 R 101.8K

136.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$73.6 R 1,205

-25.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$38.70 R 634

-36.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$117 R 1,921

-19.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$100 R 1,641

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$425 R 6,969

15.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$373 R 6,111

-22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$787 R 12.9K

13.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$777 R 12.7K

-32.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$878 R 14.4K

124.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$694 R 11.4K

108.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$3,383 R 55.4K

-82.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.94

-53.35%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $425 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 462% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $43.00 in Bhisho. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $202, with Bhisho 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 Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Bhisho. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 462% lower in Bhisho. 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $425 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $187 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bhisho pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $932 in Chiang Mai versus $1,192 in Bhisho, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bhisho. 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 $932 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 Bhisho 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 28% less than in Bhisho. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.