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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $729 in Brovary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $1,028 in Brovary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $1,327 in Brovary.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 30% more expensive than in Brovary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Brovary 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$7.70 ₴343

-72.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$34.31 ₴1,529

-42.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$6.93 ₴309

-16.45%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$1.57 ₴69.9

16.56%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.72 ₴32.22

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.55 ₴24.30

-43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$1.10 ₴49.00

112.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$1.80 ₴80.3

105.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$1.36 ₴60.5

49.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.59 ₴26.46

171.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$1.49 ₴66.4

-4.70%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.78 ₴79.3

22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$9.91 ₴442

60.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$5.20 ₴232

-40.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$8.00 ₴357

23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$1.19 ₴53.1

121.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$1.58 ₴70.4

-30.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.81 ₴80.4

-9.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$1.99 ₴88.9

-23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.64 ₴28.73

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.46 ₴20.72

145.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$1.47 ₴65.4

-49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.62 ₴27.79

-19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$3.19 ₴142

34.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$4.54 ₴202

295.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$0.96 ₴42.97

77.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$1.45 ₴64.6

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.43 ₴19.18

118.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.84 ₴81.9

-33.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.44 ₴19.51

20.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$4.29 ₴191

-44.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.64 ₴73.1

-12.20%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$29.3K ₴1.3M

-27.58%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$22.0K ₴979.8K

24.16%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$95.1 ₴4,237

-31.72%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$6.86 ₴306

94.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$7.41 ₴330

181.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$27.43 ₴1,222

47.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$4.79 ₴213

40.08%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$407 ₴18.1K

93.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$5,380 ₴239.7K

181.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$44.78 ₴1,995

25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$40.05 ₴1,784

-37.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$88.9 ₴3,962

4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$116 ₴5,180

-35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$169 ₴7,547

185.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$136 ₴6,077

110.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$504 ₴22.5K

20.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.25

-69.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Brovary: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $169 in Brovary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $34.00 in Brovary. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $178, with Brovary 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 Brovary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Brovary differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($950 vs $729 including rent). Brovary is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $169 in Brovary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $950 per month in Chiang Mai versus $729 in Brovary – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $729 in Brovary versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brovary but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Brovary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Brovary 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 Brovary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.