Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bila Tserkva

For one person, living is cheaper in Bila Tserkva: $670 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Bila Tserkva
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Bila Tserkva Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Bila Tserkva

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bila Tserkva

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $906 in Chiang Mai versus $670 in Bila Tserkva.

Chiang Mai $906
Bila Tserkva $670

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,385 in Chiang Mai versus $1,069 in Bila Tserkva.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Bila Tserkva $1,069

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,864 in Chiang Mai versus $1,468 in Bila Tserkva.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Bila Tserkva $1,468

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 35% more expensive than in Bila Tserkva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bila Tserkva 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$8.73 ₴392

-75.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$25.88 ₴1,161

-25.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$5.65 ₴254

-3.19%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$1.36 ₴61.2

23.53%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.59 ₴26.63

11.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.34 ₴15.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$0.91 ₴40.75

165.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$1.56 ₴70.0

139.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.24 ₴55.8

66.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.83 ₴37.08

75.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$1.35 ₴60.5

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.72 ₴77.0

31.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$11.85 ₴531

37.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$3.95 ₴177

-31.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$6.22 ₴279

47.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.09 ₴49.00

119.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.46 ₴65.6

-28.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.23 ₴55.2

30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$2.55 ₴114

-43.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.98 ₴44.10

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.45 ₴20.26

146.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.77 ₴79.4

-60.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.44 ₴19.65

15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$3.46 ₴155

19.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$3.29 ₴147

440.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$0.64 ₴28.77

154.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.42 ₴63.7

102.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.32 ₴14.17

168.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$1.73 ₴77.6

-29.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.59 ₴26.67

-5.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$5.30 ₴238

-56.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.59 ₴71.2

-5.66%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$29.7K ₴1.3M

-29.87%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$22.7K ₴1.0M

17.62%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$86.8 ₴3,891

-29.38%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$6.09 ₴273

105.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$4.50 ₴202

352.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$33.12 ₴1,486

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$4.56 ₴205

44.74%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$225 ₴10.1K

244.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$41.44 ₴1,859

32.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$28.12 ₴1,261

-10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$71.2 ₴3,194

27.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$76.3 ₴3,422

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$202 ₴9,064

127.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$157 ₴7,060

86.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$332 ₴14.9K

176.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$269 ₴12.1K

105.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$474 ₴21.3K

24.87%

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: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bila Tserkva: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Bila Tserkva

$157 23.1% 46.4% $136

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Bila Tserkva

$168 24.6% 29% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Bila Tserkva

$98 14.3% 11% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Bila Tserkva

$97 14.3% 3.4% $3.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Bila Tserkva

$115 16.8% 48.3% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bila Tserkva

$6 * 0.9% 90.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bila Tserkva

$42 6.2% 17.4% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Chiang Mai and $202 in Bila Tserkva. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 25% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $26.00 in Bila Tserkva. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $168, with Bila Tserkva cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇦 Bila Tserkva

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

09:04 9:04 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

209,815

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 UAH = 2.23 USD

100 UAH = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 44.85 UAH (100 UAH = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 50.26 UAH (100 UAH = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bila Tserkva 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bila Tserkva

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 Bila Tserkva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bila Tserkva differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($906 vs $670 including rent). Bila Tserkva is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $459 in Chiang Mai versus $202 in Bila Tserkva. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $906 per month in Chiang Mai versus $670 in Bila Tserkva – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $670 in Bila Tserkva versus $906 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.