Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bungoma

For one person, living is cheaper in Bungoma: $144 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bungoma

🇰🇪 Kenya

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $144 in Bungoma.

Chiang Mai $936
Bungoma $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $290 in Bungoma.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bungoma $290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $436 in Bungoma.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bungoma $436

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 550% more expensive than in Bungoma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bungoma 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$5.49 KES 712

-69.58%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.57 KES 204

50.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.68 KES 218

117.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.24 KES 161

83.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.17 KES 411

-25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$0.97 KES 125

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.57 KES 204

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.68 KES 218

65.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.40 KES 182

3.57%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

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

$12.17 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$29.15 KES 3,783

-30.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$169 KES 21.9K

275.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bungoma: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bungoma

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bungoma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bungoma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bungoma

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bungoma

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bungoma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bungoma

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇰🇪 Bungoma

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bungoma 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bungoma

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 Bungoma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bungoma is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $216 in Bungoma 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 520% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $144 in Bungoma – Bungoma is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Bungoma are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.