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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,523 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $2,376 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $3,228 in Busan.

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 43% less than in Busan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiang Mai is 35% below, Busan is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$7.07 ₩10.8K

-72.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$37.26 ₩57.1K

-49.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$6.13 ₩9,392

27.57%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$4.15 ₩6,365

-53.01%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$1.86 ₩2,847

-54.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$1.38 ₩2,117

-74.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$3.71 ₩5,687

-42.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$5.76 ₩8,824

-35.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$2.33 ₩3,577

-26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$3.55 ₩5,432

-54.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$3.03 ₩4,641

-62.38%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$2.96 ₩4,541

-34.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$10.38 ₩15.9K

56.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$8.47 ₩13.0K

-63.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

$27.30 ₩41.8K

-60.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$8.50 ₩13.0K

-67.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$3.25 ₩4,979

-62.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$7.53 ₩11.5K

-78.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$5.32 ₩8,152

-70.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$5.17 ₩7,926

-72.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$2.94 ₩4,511

-60.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$2.00 ₩3,064

-67.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$1.20 ₩1,832

-55.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.28 ₩5,024

42.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$16.73 ₩25.6K

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.74 ₩2,663

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.46 ₩5,307

-6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$1.11 ₩1,702

-18.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$44.83 ₩68.7K

-57.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$3.50 ₩5,360

-59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.79 ₩1,208

63.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$16.82 ₩25.8K

-53.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.23 ₩1,877

3.25%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$27.4K ₩42.0M

-22.45%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$25.0K ₩38.3M

-11.06%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$190 ₩291.6K

-63.71%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$49.90 ₩76.5K

-71.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$27.21 ₩41.7K

-33.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$52.0 ₩79.7K

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$13.24 ₩20.3K

-47.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$11.31 ₩17.3K

-47.66%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$497 ₩762.1K

-39.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$14.2K ₩21.7M

5.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$105 ₩160.2K

-47.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$64.9 ₩99.4K

-58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$88.2 ₩135.2K

-3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$118 ₩180.6K

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$500 ₩765.3K

-14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$320 ₩490.5K

-25.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$1,006 ₩1.5M

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$653 ₩1.0M

-21.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$9,780 ₩15.0M

-79.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$7,054 ₩10.8M

-79.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$2,407 ₩3.7M

-74.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

18.48%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Busan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $500 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 290% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $37.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $450 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Busan earns 290% less. 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $500 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 133% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $497 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $866 in Chiang Mai versus $1,523 in Busan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $866 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Busan 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 76% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.