Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brossard

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $2,537 in Brossard, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$925
/mo nomad
Brossard
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,537
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,537 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $925
  • Brossard $2,537

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,405 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,414
  • Brossard $3,405

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,272 in Brossard, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,903
  • Brossard $4,272

Chiang Mai is about 64% cheaper than Brossard, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Brossard is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.29 ฿76.5
$18.98 CA$26.83
-87.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.64 ฿656
$72.2 CA$102
-72.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.61 ฿188
$10.82 CA$15.30
-48.15%
Cappuccino
$1.66 ฿55.6
$3.96 CA$5.60
-58.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ฿23.40
$1.99 CA$2.81
-64.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.24
$1.55 CA$2.20
-80.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 ฿80.4
$5.78 CA$8.17
-58.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71 ฿124
$5.81 CA$8.21
-36.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$2.32 CA$3.28
-15.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 ฿47.03
$2.89 CA$4.09
-51.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 ฿43.62
$3.53 CA$4.99
-62.89%
Eggs
$2.18 ฿72.9
$3.46 CA$4.89
-36.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.65 ฿556
$8.87 CA$12.53
87.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.76 ฿92.2
$11.38 CA$16.09
-75.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 ฿304
$11.86 CA$16.77
-23.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.39 ฿80.0
$3.27 CA$4.63
-26.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 ฿34.26
$1.47 CA$2.07
-29.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$3.40 CA$4.80
-52.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.0
$3.04 CA$4.30
-50.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 ฿43.13
$1.85 CA$2.62
-30.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.03
$1.77 CA$2.50
-37.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.08
$2.47 CA$3.50
-70.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 ฿17.59
$1.51 CA$2.13
-64.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 ฿144
$14.40 CA$20.36
-70.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.95 ฿600
$10.48 CA$14.82
71.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 ฿52.9
$2.31 CA$3.26
-31.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.0
$2.86 CA$4.05
-0.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.86 ฿28.86
$2.51 CA$3.54
-65.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$186 CA$262
-71.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.21 ฿40.29
$2.87 CA$4.05
-57.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿18.99
$1.43 CA$2.03
-60.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.35 ฿78.6
$32.39 CA$45.79
-92.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 ฿47.96
$1.28 CA$1.81
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ฿692.8K
$28.4K CA$40.1K
-26.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K ฿895.7K
$20.9K CA$29.6K
28.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$102 CA$144
-38.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 ฿405
$34.97 CA$49.44
-65.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.94 ฿666
$45.51 CA$64.3
-56.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.07 ฿1,239
$20.50 CA$28.99
80.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.78 ฿126
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 ฿217
$11.16 CA$15.77
-41.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$793 ฿26.5K
$678 CA$959
16.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿494.9K
$9,132 CA$12.9K
62.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.7 ฿1,796
$58.4 CA$82.6
-8.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.62 ฿823
$37.78 CA$53.4
-34.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ฿3,036
$91.4 CA$129
-0.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.1 ฿2,378
$108 CA$153
-34.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$455 ฿15.2K
$971 CA$1,373
-53.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$298 ฿9,954
$1,358 CA$1,920
-78.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$908 ฿30.4K
$1,689 CA$2,388
-46.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 ฿18.5K
$1,564 CA$2,210
-64.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,931 ฿64.5K
$2,518 CA$3,559
-23.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,445 ฿48.3K
$2,152 CA$3,043
-32.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Brossard
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$591 ฿19.7K
$2,648 CA$3,743
-77.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.48
24.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brossard: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$298
Brossard
$1.4K 356% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$235
Brossard
$328 39.4% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$108
Brossard
$133 23.2% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Brossard
$183 93.4% $88
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Brossard
$287 265% $208
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Brossard
$206 238% $145
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Brossard
$43 14.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $971 in Brossard. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 348% higher in Brossard, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $72.0 in Brossard. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $328 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇨🇦 Brossard
🕒 Local time
11:16 11:16 AM
00:16 12:16 AM
11 h behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
91,525
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Brossard 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Brossard

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 Brossard: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Chiang Mai and in Brossard compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai, $2,537 in Brossard – roughly 174% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Chiang Mai compared to Brossard?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,806 in Brossard. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Chiang Mai and Brossard?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Brossard?
Public transport costs about 248% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Chiang Mai and Brossard?
Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $678 in Brossard. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Brossard at $2,537. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brossard it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Chiang Mai and Brossard?
It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Chiang Mai to $2,537 in Brossard. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Chiang Mai or Brossard safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Chiang Mai and Brossard?
If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brossard makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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