Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Brugge

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $906 a month against $2,161 in Brugge, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
Learn more

Brugge Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,161 in Brugge, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Brugge $2,161

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,114 in Brugge, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Brugge $3,114

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,067 in Brugge, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Brugge $4,067

Chiang Mai is about 58% cheaper than Brugge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 32% below the global median, while Brugge is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$22.81 €20.36

-90.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$79.7 €71.1

-75.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$11.28 €10.06

-51.51%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$4.43 €3.95

-62.08%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$2.95 €2.63

-77.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$2.93 €2.61

-88.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$5.43 €4.85

-55.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$4.60 €4.10

-18.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.21 €1.08

70.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.88 €1.68

-22.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$2.02 €1.80

-33.17%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$3.80 €3.39

-40.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$11.45 €10.22

42.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$12.15 €10.85

-77.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$19.33 €17.25

-52.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$2.69 €2.40

-11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$2.12 €1.90

-50.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$2.20 €1.96

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$2.25 €2.01

-36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$2.27 €2.03

-42.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.98 €0.87

13.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$1.53 €1.36

-54.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.95 €0.85

-46.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$13.02 €11.62

-68.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$7.36 €6.57

141.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.09 €0.97

49.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$1.99 €1.78

44.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$3.23 €2.89

-73.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$56.0 €49.99

-5.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$3.35 €2.99

-63.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$2.53 €2.26

-77.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$25.12 €22.42

-90.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.97 €1.76

-23.86%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$34.9K €31.2K

-40.26%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$34.3K €30.6K

-22.05%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$214 €191

-71.42%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$18.04 €16.10

-30.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$53.0 €47.30

-61.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$42.07 €37.54

-9.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$13.66 €12.19

-72.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$14.87 €13.27

-55.62%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$606 €541

27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$4,952 €4,419

191.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$104 €93.0

-47.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$59.8 €53.4

-57.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$89.1 €79.6

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$254 €227

-71.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$939 €838

-51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$831 €741

-64.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$1,324 €1,181

-30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$1,188 €1,061

-53.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,666 €2,379

-28.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$2,502 €2,233

-42.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$2,551 €2,276

-76.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.52

58.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brugge: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Brugge

$831 38.9% 183% $537

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Brugge

$304 14.2% 28.8% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Brugge

$228 10.7% 108% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Brugge

$285 13.4% 203% $191

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Brugge

$329 15.4% 326% $252

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Brugge

$85 4% 40.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Brugge

$72 3.4% 40.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $939 in Brugge. 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 331% higher in Brugge, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $80.0 in Brugge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $304 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇪 Brugge

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

14:16 2:16 PM

5 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

117,639

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Brugge 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Brugge

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 Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brugge is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,242 in Brugge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Chiang Mai and $2,161 in Brugge. That's a gap of about 139%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Chiang Mai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Brugge at $2,161. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brugge it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brugge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.