Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bushehr

For one person, living is cheaper in Bushehr: $518 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Bushehr
Learn more

Bushehr Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bushehr

🇮🇷 Iran

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $518 in Bushehr.

Chiang Mai $936
Bushehr $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $805 in Bushehr.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bushehr $805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,091 in Bushehr.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bushehr $1,091

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 81% more expensive than in Bushehr, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bushehr 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.53 $4.53

-50.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$12.80 $12.80

48.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.10 $4.10

35.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 $1.02

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.22 $1.22

36.89%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.62 $0.62

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$1.03 $1.03

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.51 $0.51

282.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.29 $0.29

396.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.81 $1.81

-26.52%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.99 $0.99

130.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$1.46 $1.46

1026.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.94 $2.94

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.89 $9.89

-5.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$0.57 $0.57

312.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.46 $1.46

-33.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.94 $0.94

70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.52 $0.52

188.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.48 $0.48

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.29 $0.29

279.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.51 $0.51

39.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.20 $0.20

145.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.58 $0.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 $0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.08 $3.08

34.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.13 $0.13

569.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$9.67 $9.67

459.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.38 $0.38

205.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.31 $0.31

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.53 $3.53

-31.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.09 $0.09

1511.11%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$60.0K $60.0K

-64.90%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$48.4K $48.4K

-44.33%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$20.18 $20.18

208.08%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$1.59 $1.59

665.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$3.97 $3.97

406.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$19.16 $19.16

94.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$13.66 $13.66

-72.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.94 $1.94

234.54%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$50.9 $50.9

1346.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$608 $608

2329.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$22.67 $22.67

135.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$18.74 $18.74

31.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$96.2 $96.2

-4.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$55.5 $55.5

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$295 $295

63.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$208 $208

48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$327 $327

207.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$353 $353

79.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,143 $1,143

106.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$531 $531

199.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$282 $282

108.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bushehr: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bushehr

$208 40.2% 32.6% $101

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bushehr

$92 17.8% 60.6% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bushehr

$87 16.8% 20% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bushehr

$26 5% 72.8% $69

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bushehr

$70 13.5% 10.1% $7.8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bushehr

$12 2.3% 80.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bushehr

$23 4.5% 54.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $295 in Bushehr. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $13 in Bushehr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $92 per month, with Bushehr cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇷 Bushehr

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

11:39 11:39 AM

3 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

223,504

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bushehr 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bushehr

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 Bushehr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bushehr wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bushehr the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $295 in Bushehr. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bushehr runs roughly 82% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $51 in Bushehr. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $518 in Bushehr versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bushehr but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bushehr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Bushehr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.