Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brades

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Brades: $936 and $923 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $923 in Brades.

Chiang Mai $936
Brades $923

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $2,139 in Brades.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Brades $2,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $3,355 in Brades.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Brades $3,355

Monthly costs are close between Chiang Mai and Brades; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Brades 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$18.72 EC$50.5

-88.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$47.37 EC$128

-59.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$12.14 EC$32.78

-54.28%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$7.14 EC$19.27

-76.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$2.80 EC$7.55

-77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$1.58 EC$4.26

-80.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.93 EC$7.90

-19.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.53 EC$12.22

-19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$3.47 EC$9.37

-43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$2.95 EC$7.96

-51.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$7.07 EC$19.08

-67.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.76 EC$15.54

185.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$9.11 EC$24.59

-69.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$22.89 EC$61.8

-59.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.34 EC$9.03

-29.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.38 EC$11.82

-65.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.25 EC$6.07

-51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$5.21 EC$14.06

-86.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$22.17 EC$59.9

-20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.51 EC$12.19

-38.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.89 EC$5.11

-53.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$4.70 EC$12.68

-88.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$1.90 EC$5.12

27.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$22.2K EC$60.0K

-5.23%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$15.0K EC$40.4K

79.95%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$92.8 EC$250

-32.98%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$40.24 EC$109

-69.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$48.18 EC$130

-58.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$56.4 EC$152

-33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,296 EC$3,499

-22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,280 EC$3,455

-50.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,320 EC$3,563

-55.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brades: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Brades

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Brades

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Brades

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Brades

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Brades

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Brades

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Brades

–

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $47 in Brades for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $341 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇸 Brades

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

11 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

400

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brades 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brades

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 Brades: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19 versus $47 in Brades. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Shoppers in Chiang Mai pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Brades is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Brades are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.