Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bila Tserkva Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bila Tserkva

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $942 in Chiang Mai versus $698 in Bila Tserkva.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,427 in Chiang Mai versus $1,088 in Bila Tserkva.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,912 in Chiang Mai versus $1,477 in Bila Tserkva.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 35% more expensive than in Bila Tserkva, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bila Tserkva 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.4

$9.17 ₴413

-77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.91 ฿664

$25.63 ₴1,153

-22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ฿186

$5.41 ₴243

3.14%

Cappuccino

$1.74 ฿58.0

$1.40 ₴63.1

24.29%

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

$0.72 ฿24.01

$0.56 ₴25.03

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.67

$0.32 ₴14.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ฿75.1

$0.91 ₴40.90

147.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿127

$1.54 ₴69.2

147.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.20 ₴54.0

68.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.81 ₴36.39

93.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.58

$1.33 ₴59.8

5.26%

Eggs

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.66 ₴74.8

29.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 ฿522

$11.50 ₴517

35.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.3

$3.97 ₴179

-25.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ฿317

$6.23 ₴280

52.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ฿86.9

$1.09 ₴49.05

138.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ฿36.08

$1.42 ₴64.1

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.1

$1.21 ₴54.6

31.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.47

$2.58 ₴116

-43.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.60

$0.98 ₴44.08

30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.07

$0.44 ₴19.78

152.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ฿24.23

$1.72 ₴77.3

-57.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.44 ₴19.76

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿143

$3.41 ₴154

25.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.67 ฿590

$3.29 ₴148

437.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.64 ₴28.99

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿93.5

$1.47 ₴66.3

90.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿28.87

$0.35 ₴15.83

148.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 ฿1,808

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.47

$1.81 ₴81.4

-33.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.98

$0.57 ₴25.51

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$5.27 ₴237

-54.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿48.84

$1.58 ₴70.8

-7.59%

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

$21.0K ฿701.2K

$29.7K ₴1.3M

-29.17%

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

$26.7K ฿890.8K

$23.2K ₴1.0M

15.15%

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

$62.1 ฿2,071

$86.7 ₴3,897

-28.37%

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

$12.93 ฿431

$6.17 ₴277

109.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ฿688

$4.43 ₴199

365.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 ฿1,308

$34.01 ₴1,529

15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ฿217

$4.80 ₴216

35.83%

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

$803 ฿26.8K

$221 ₴9,917

264.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿490.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 ฿1,864

$41.10 ₴1,848

35.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.51 ฿851

$28.19 ₴1,268

-9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 ฿3,039

$70.4 ₴3,164

29.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,446

$77.9 ₴3,504

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.1K

$203 ₴9,117

138.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,617

$158 ₴7,092

82.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ฿29.5K

$339 ₴15.2K

161.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ฿17.5K

$271 ₴12.2K

93.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 ฿66.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,440 ฿48.1K

$1,091 ₴49.0K

32.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$603 ฿20.1K

$471 ₴21.2K

27.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.25

-63.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 21, 2026

Last update for Bila Tserkva: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $203 in Bila Tserkva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 28% 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 $26.00 in Bila Tserkva. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $166, with Bila Tserkva 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 Bila Tserkva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bila Tserkva differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($942 vs $698 including rent). Bila Tserkva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $203 in Bila Tserkva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $942 per month in Chiang Mai versus $698 in Bila Tserkva – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $698 in Bila Tserkva versus $942 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bila Tserkva but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bila Tserkva 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 Bila Tserkva 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 Bila Tserkva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.