Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Braslav Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Braslav

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $627 in Braslav.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $1,064 in Braslav.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,501 in Braslav.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 49% more expensive than in Braslav, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Braslav 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$9.61 BYN 29.01

-78.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$48.69 BYN 147

-59.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$7.04 BYN 21.27

-19.46%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.30 BYN 6.94

-21.30%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.93 BYN 2.82

-17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.61 BYN 1.83

-42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.51 BYN 4.56

46.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.54 BYN 7.67

49.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.88 BYN 2.66

132.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.71 BYN 2.15

112.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$1.31 BYN 3.96

6.87%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.66 BYN 5.00

36.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$7.53 BYN 22.74

115.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$5.07 BYN 15.32

-42.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

$11.14 BYN 33.64

-15.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.62 BYN 4.88

65.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$1.73 BYN 5.23

-36.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$2.17 BYN 6.55

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$2.77 BYN 8.35

-47.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.68 BYN 2.06

88.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.76 BYN 2.29

39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$1.49 BYN 4.49

-51.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.66 BYN 2.00

-19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$2.58 BYN 7.79

63.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$8.42 BYN 25.42

117.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.04 BYN 3.13

56.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$1.98 BYN 5.99

46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.37 BYN 1.11

137.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$15.97 BYN 48.22

236.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.68 BYN 5.07

-30.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.48 BYN 1.44

20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$10.02 BYN 30.27

-76.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$0.86 BYN 2.60

68.60%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$24.1K BYN 72.9K

-12.98%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$22.2K BYN 67.0K

19.09%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$61.0 BYN 184

4.43%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$8.07 BYN 24.38

59.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$13.23 BYN 39.94

55.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$35.39 BYN 107

10.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$5.87 BYN 17.73

12.10%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$368 BYN 1,110

113.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$24.6K BYN 74.2K

-40.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$53.5 BYN 162

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$44.50 BYN 134

-44.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$107 BYN 322

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$110 BYN 332

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$382 BYN 1,153

28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$668 BYN 2,016

33.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$961 BYN 2,902

105.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$831 BYN 2,511

73.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.92

-65.01%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Braslav: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $382 in Braslav. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $49.00 in Braslav. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $194, with Braslav cheaper for home cooking.

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 Braslav: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braslav wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braslav the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Chiang Mai and $940 in Braslav to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $382 in Braslav. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Braslav – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $627 in Braslav versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braslav but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Braslav the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Braslav delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $627 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Braslav hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Braslav 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 Braslav gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.