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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $1,078 in Bursa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $1,700 in Bursa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $2,322 in Bursa.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 12% less than in Bursa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bursa 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$8.46 ₺411

-75.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$31.13 ₺1,512

-36.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$7.18 ₺349

-19.36%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$3.39 ₺165

-46.02%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.96 ₺46.67

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.37 ₺18.06

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$2.25 ₺109

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$3.03 ₺147

22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.97 ₺47.22

109.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.84 ₺40.72

90.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$2.29 ₺111

-37.99%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$2.29 ₺111

-4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$10.25 ₺498

55.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$5.33 ₺259

-42.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

$19.13 ₺929

-48.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$1.77 ₺85.8

48.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$2.04 ₺98.9

-46.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.04 ₺50.7

56.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$1.31 ₺63.7

16.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.58 ₺27.94

113.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.42 ₺20.34

169.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.74 ₺36.08

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.72 ₺35.05

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$2.03 ₺98.4

110.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$12.20 ₺592

47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.95 ₺94.8

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.16 ₺105

34.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$1.01 ₺49.14

-6.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$36.90 ₺1,792

49.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.06 ₺51.4

16.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.85 ₺41.19

-37.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$7.22 ₺350

-66.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.28 ₺62.2

12.50%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$43.1K ₺2.1M

-50.82%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$41.5K ₺2.0M

-34.18%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$80.2 ₺3,893

-19.01%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$10.93 ₺531

22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$13.72 ₺666

51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$71.3 ₺3,460

-43.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$22.82 ₺1,108

-82.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$6.30 ₺306

6.51%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$576 ₺28.0K

36.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$11.6K ₺561.1K

30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$44.10 ₺2,141

27.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$36.20 ₺1,757

-31.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$83.4 ₺4,050

11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$103 ₺5,004

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$397 ₺19.3K

21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$317 ₺15.4K

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$731 ₺35.5K

24.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$657 ₺31.9K

-19.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$1,343 ₺65.2K

47.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$1,331 ₺64.6K

9.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$1,026 ₺49.8K

-41.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

42.67

-86.95%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bursa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $397 in Bursa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bursa pays 70% 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 $31.00 in Bursa. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $236, with Bursa 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 Bursa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Bursa. 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $397 in Bursa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bursa pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $31.00 in Bursa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in Chiang Mai versus $1,078 in Bursa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Bursa. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chiang Mai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bursa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bursa 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Bursa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.