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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $1,014 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $1,617 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $2,221 in Bhisho.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 16% less than in Bhisho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bhisho 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$8.47 R 137

-76.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$33.20 R 537

-44.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$4.93 R 79.9

59.63%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$2.11 R 34.08

-7.58%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$1.04 R 16.82

-18.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.75 R 12.19

-57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$2.26 R 36.53

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$2.58 R 41.79

42.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$1.12 R 18.10

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$1.06 R 17.09

47.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$1.62 R 26.24

-26.54%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$2.50 R 40.41

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$7.47 R 121

117.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$4.49 R 72.7

-29.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

$6.69 R 108

62.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$1.67 R 27.09

58.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$1.54 R 24.85

-20.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$1.49 R 24.15

10.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$1.64 R 26.59

-5.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$1.36 R 22.05

-2.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$1.19 R 19.27

1.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$1.04 R 16.89

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$0.92 R 14.86

-38.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$2.73 R 44.18

71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$4.81 R 77.8

253.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.40 R 22.64

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$1.71 R 27.72

85.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$1.68 R 27.19

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$22.56 R 365

-16.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$1.09 R 17.71

29.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$0.88 R 14.25

52.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$4.15 R 67.1

96.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.23 R 19.90

4.07%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$20.9K R 338.0K

4.51%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$24.1K R 390.0K

-7.03%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$119 R 1,919

-40.56%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$35.53 R 575

-60.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$42.33 R 685

-58.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$30.69 R 497

34.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$11.15 R 181

-39.37%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$6.77 R 110

-11.96%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$195 R 3,157

55.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$4,375 R 70.8K

241.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$50.7 R 820

7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$32.09 R 519

-18.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$88.4 R 1,431

-2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$79.8 R 1,292

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$364 R 5,899

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$330 R 5,338

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$689 R 11.2K

17.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$695 R 11.2K

-26.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$899 R 14.6K

125.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$701 R 11.4K

114.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

$3,359 R 54.4K

-81.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

-56.56%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $364 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 440% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $33.00 in Bhisho. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $177, 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 20% 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, Bhisho earns 440% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $364 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $195 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Bhisho pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Chiang Mai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 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 20% less than in Bhisho. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.