Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Borculo

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,525 in Borculo, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Borculo
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Borculo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Borculo

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Borculo

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,525 in Borculo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Borculo $2,525

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,738 in Borculo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Borculo $3,738

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,952 in Borculo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Borculo $4,952

Chiang Mai is about 63% cheaper than Borculo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Borculo is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$22.27 €19.83

-90.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$88.0 €78.3

-78.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$13.68 €12.18

-59.06%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$4.29 €3.82

-61.31%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$3.72 €3.31

-82.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$3.01 €2.68

-90.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$6.17 €5.50

-62.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.64 €5.03

-34.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.37 €1.22

47.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$2.29 €2.04

-38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$2.55 €2.27

-45.49%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.87 €4.33

-51.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$13.68 €12.18

20.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$13.88 €12.36

-80.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$17.26 €15.37

-47.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.69 €2.39

-10.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$2.40 €2.14

-56.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.98 €1.77

-16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$4.43 €3.94

-64.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.80 €1.60

-31.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.97 €1.75

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$1.22 €1.08

-37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.92 €0.82

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$13.73 €12.22

-69.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$6.97 €6.21

157.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.49 €1.33

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.63 €2.34

7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$3.54 €3.16

-73.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$88.9 €79.1

-40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$4.00 €3.56

-70.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$2.78 €2.47

-93.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$29.11 €25.92

-93.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$2.47 €2.20

-40.49%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$41.1K €36.6K

-48.83%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$39.9K €35.5K

-33.53%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$260 €232

-75.96%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$22.32 €19.88

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$49.17 €43.78

-58.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$41.55 €37.00

-8.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$23.98 €21.35

-84.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$15.10 €13.45

-56.89%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$2,550 €2,270

-71.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$7,902 €7,036

109.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$94.5 €84.2

-43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$43.03 €38.31

-42.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$105 €93.4

-13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$137 €122

-47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,452 €1,293

-66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,152 €1,026

-73.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$2,284 €2,034

-53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$1,875 €1,669

-64.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$5,694 €5,070

-57.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$4,538 €4,040

-64.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$3,391 €3,020

-82.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.82

45.81%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Borculo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Borculo

$1.2K 45.6% 272% $842

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Borculo

$338 13.4% 42.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Borculo

$171 6.8% 57.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Borculo

$332 13.1% 251% $237

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Borculo

$340 13.5% 344% $263

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Borculo

$121 4.8% 106% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Borculo

$72 2.8% 41% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,452 in Borculo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Borculo are about 5.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $88 in Borculo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $338 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇱 Borculo

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

08:43 8:43 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

10,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Borculo 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Borculo

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 Borculo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai, $2,525 in Borculo – Chiang Mai comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,787 in Borculo. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,452 in Borculo.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,550 in Borculo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,525 in Borculo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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