Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Buriram

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Buriram: $935 and $929 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Buriram
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Buriram Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Buriram

🇹🇭 Thailand

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $929 in Buriram, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Buriram $929

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,448 in Buriram, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Buriram $1,448

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,966 in Buriram, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Buriram $1,966

Chiang Mai and Buriram have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Buriram are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Buriram 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$1.52 ฿51.4

40.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$26.37 ฿889

-29.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$8.54 ฿288

-34.43%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.35 ฿45.53

22.96%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.42 ฿14.30

54.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.26 ฿8.84

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.81 ฿61.2

28.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$4.03 ฿136

-8.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.83 ฿61.8

10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.36 ฿45.98

3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.22 ฿41.30

13.93%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$2.14 ฿72.2

10.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$17.47 ฿589

-5.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.39 ฿80.8

11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$11.40 ฿384

-20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.76 ฿93.0

-13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$1.10 ฿37.26

-5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.46 ฿83.1

-32.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.85 ฿62.4

-15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$1.53 ฿51.7

-18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$1.14 ฿38.57

-4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.95 ฿31.96

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.53 ฿17.91

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.24 ฿143

-2.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$15.40 ฿519

16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.69 ฿57.1

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.87 ฿96.9

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.85 ฿28.75

9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$1.13 ฿38.27

4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.99 ฿33.40

-82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$5.43 ฿183

-66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.38 ฿46.49

6.52%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$24.6K ฿828.1K

-14.41%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$23.8K ฿803.9K

11.26%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$89.5 ฿3,018

-30.08%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$11.74 ฿396

-1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$21.39 ฿722

-5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$43.97 ฿1,483

-13.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$12.07 ฿407

-69.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$5.71 ฿193

14.01%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$603 ฿20.4K

20.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$17.4K ฿586.0K

-4.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$55.3 ฿1,864

-3.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$26.20 ฿884

-5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$85.9 ฿2,896

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$83.5 ฿2,817

-13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$447 ฿15.1K

7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$310 ฿10.4K

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,233 ฿41.6K

-14.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$610 ฿20.6K

7.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,911 ฿64.5K

26.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,591 ฿53.7K

1.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Buriram: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Buriram

$310 33.3% 0.1% $0.3

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Buriram

$246 26.4% 3.8% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Buriram

$113 12.1% 4.2% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Buriram

$123 13.2% 29.8% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Buriram

$74 8% 3.5% $2.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Buriram

$9.5 * 1% 83.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Buriram

$55 6% 8.8% $4.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $447 in Buriram. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $26 in Buriram. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $246 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Buriram

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

28,333

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Buriram 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Buriram

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 Buriram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,394 in Buriram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $481 in Chiang Mai and $447 in Buriram. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $26 in Buriram. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $603 in Buriram. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.