Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brahmanbaria

For one person, living is cheaper in Brahmanbaria: $352 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Brahmanbaria
Learn more

Brahmanbaria Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Brahmanbaria

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $352 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Brahmanbaria $352

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $575 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Brahmanbaria $575

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $798 in Brahmanbaria, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Brahmanbaria $798

Chiang Mai costs about 166% more than Brahmanbaria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Brahmanbaria are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Brahmanbaria 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$1.99 ৳248

7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$12.09 ৳1,510

54.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.32 ৳664

5.26%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ৳329

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 ৳510

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.98 ৳247

-16.16%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.36 ৳44.93

80.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.15 ৳18.45

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.75 ৳93.4

169.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.60 ৳74.4

135.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$0.67 ৳83.2

107.46%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$0.99 ৳123

139.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.47 ৳932

121.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$1.50 ৳187

78.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.36 ৳919

22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.23 ৳278

7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.88 ৳109

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.00 ৳250

-17.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.85 ৳107

83.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$0.43 ৳53.8

188.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$0.84 ৳105

29.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.49 ৳61.7

55.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.32 ৳40.04

59.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.32 ৳539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ৳96.2

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ৳186

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$3.02 ৳377

36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.38 ৳47.80

144.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$0.83 ৳104

42.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.59 ৳73.1

-71.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$2.76 ৳345

-34.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.11 ৳138

32.43%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$31.7K ৳4.0M

-33.72%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$44.6K ৳5.6M

-40.51%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$29.44 ৳3,675

112.50%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$5.41 ৳675

114.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$12.27 ৳1,532

65.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$13.33 ৳1,665

184.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$3.71 ৳463

75.47%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$34.79 ৳4,343

1989.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$1,438 ৳179.5K

1052.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$22.37 ৳2,793

139.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$19.64 ৳2,453

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$56.8 ৳7,093

59.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$35.19 ৳4,394

104.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$87.0 ৳10.9K

453.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$51.5 ৳6,426

502.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$167 ৳20.9K

533.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$115 ৳14.4K

471.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$699 ৳87.3K

245.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$255 ৳31.9K

529.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brahmanbaria: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Brahmanbaria

$51 14.6% 83.4% $258

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Brahmanbaria

$110 31.1% 53.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Brahmanbaria

$60 17.1% 44.3% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Brahmanbaria

$47 13.4% 50.1% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Brahmanbaria

$58 16.4% 24.7% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Brahmanbaria

$5.3 * 1.5% 91% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Brahmanbaria

$21 5.9% 59.2% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $87 in Brahmanbaria. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Brahmanbaria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $110 – making Brahmanbaria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇩 Brahmanbaria

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

268,279

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.01 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 125 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.01 USD). 1 EUR = 140 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.15 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Brahmanbaria 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brahmanbaria

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 Brahmanbaria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $528 in Brahmanbaria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brahmanbaria, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $87 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $352 in Brahmanbaria. That makes Brahmanbaria about 62% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $35 in Brahmanbaria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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