Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Binan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Binan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $899 in Binan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,376 in Binan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,853 in Binan City, rent included.

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Binan City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chiang Mai and Binan City are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Binan City 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$4.68 ₱287

-56.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$21.12 ₱1,293

-11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.03 ₱185

159.41%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.87 ₱176

-29.27%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.94 ₱57.8

-14.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.37 ₱22.78

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.22 ₱74.9

75.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.70 ₱165

35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$2.07 ₱127

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$1.26 ₱77.2

24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$1.11 ₱68.2

8.11%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$2.04 ₱125

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$7.03 ₱431

130.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.38 ₱268

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

$7.54 ₱462

43.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$4.42 ₱270

-37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.55 ₱94.9

-24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$2.63 ₱161

-34.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$1.71 ₱105

-7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$2.88 ₱176

-51.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$2.94 ₱180

-60.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$1.58 ₱96.9

-58.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.95 ₱58.4

-45.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.25 ₱199

43.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$8.11 ₱497

119.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.23 ₱75.5

45.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.05 ₱125

62.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.26 ₱15.90

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.77 ₱47.35

83.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.22 ₱13.45

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$3.50 ₱214

131.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.14 ₱69.7

7.89%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$25.3K ₱1.5M

-15.11%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

5.05%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$164 ₱10.0K

-56.38%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$33.13 ₱2,028

-57.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$35.34 ₱2,163

-49.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$34.13 ₱2,089

19.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$4.32 ₱264

59.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$7.26 ₱444

-21.21%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$81.6 ₱4,992

278.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$6,963 ₱426.2K

110.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$32.18 ₱1,970

73.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$30.10 ₱1,843

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$83.9 ₱5,133

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$93.3 ₱5,709

-23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$269 ₱16.5K

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$177 ₱10.9K

36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$579 ₱35.4K

37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$394 ₱24.1K

28.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$2,260 ₱138.3K

-15.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$899 ₱55.1K

62.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

-25.04%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Binan City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $269 in Binan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Binan City. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Chiang Mai vs $221 in Binan City – so Binan City wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Binan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Binan City is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,348 in Binan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $852 in Chiang Mai and $899 in Binan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $81.6 in Binan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $899 in Binan City, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Binan City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.