Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $2,678 in Burnaby.

Chiang Mai $936
Burnaby $2,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $3,827 in Burnaby.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Burnaby $3,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $4,976 in Burnaby.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Burnaby $4,976

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 65% less than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 31% below, Burnaby is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$21.23 CA$29.79

-89.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$86.5 CA$121

-78.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$9.53 CA$13.37

-41.76%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$4.67 CA$6.56

-64.24%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$2.45 CA$3.44

-73.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$1.80 CA$2.52

-82.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$8.57 CA$12.03

-72.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.18 CA$8.67

-40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.34 CA$3.28

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$2.76 CA$3.88

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.52 CA$4.95

-62.22%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$3.17 CA$4.45

-28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$14.05 CA$19.72

17.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$14.07 CA$19.75

-80.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$25.31 CA$35.52

-63.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$4.42 CA$6.20

-46.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.28 CA$1.80

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$4.61 CA$6.47

-65.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.61 CA$6.48

-67.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.81 CA$3.95

-54.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$3.54 CA$4.96

-68.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$2.74 CA$3.84

-74.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$2.10 CA$2.95

-76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$14.23 CA$19.96

-70.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$13.39 CA$18.79

30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.05 CA$2.88

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.33 CA$3.27

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$2.54 CA$3.56

-65.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$81.6 CA$115

-33.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$2.88 CA$4.04

-59.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.51 CA$2.12

-64.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$26.45 CA$37.12

-90.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.37 CA$1.92

5.84%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$28.5K CA$40.1K

-26.23%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

28.63%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$126 CA$177

-50.76%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$44.96 CA$63.1

-72.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$52.7 CA$74.0

-61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$31.23 CA$43.83

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$10.52 CA$14.77

-64.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$14.23 CA$19.97

-54.39%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$649 CA$910

13.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$52.2 CA$73.3

2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$51.4 CA$72.1

-52.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$103 CA$145

-11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$79.0 CA$111

-8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,693 CA$2,376

-71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$1,406 CA$1,973

-78.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$2,623 CA$3,681

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$1,985 CA$2,786

-68.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$6,886 CA$9,663

-65.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$5,338 CA$7,491

-70.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$3,149 CA$4,419

-81.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.76

17.02%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5% 355% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Burnaby

$431 16.1% 83.9% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Burnaby

$129 4.8% 18.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Burnaby

$224 8.4% 137% $129

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Burnaby

$327 12.2% 321% $249

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Burnaby

$102 3.8% 66.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Burnaby

$60 2.2% 18.7% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $87 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $431 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

14:36 2:36 PM

14 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

249,125

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Burnaby 11,390 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Burnaby

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $2,678 in Burnaby, so Chiang Mai is about 65% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $649 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.