Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Busia, Uganda

Name: Busia
Address: Busia, UG

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $69.4 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$69.4

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $69 in Busia.

Chiang Mai $936
Busia $69

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $114 in Busia.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Busia $114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $159 in Busia.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Busia $159

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 1249% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Busia 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.30 UGX 1,319

550.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.23 UGX 5,342

17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.43 UGX 6,192

59.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$3.56 UGX 15.5K

161.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.34 UGX 10.2K

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.69 UGX 2,978

117.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.41 UGX 6,120

-21.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.23 UGX 993

113.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.11 UGX 4,829

272.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.93 UGX 21.4K

255.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.95 UGX 4,115

69.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.18 UGX 5,107

135.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

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

$12.17 ฿411

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

05:00 5:00 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

64,900

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Busia 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $104 in Busia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 238% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $69 in Busia – Busia is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $69 in Busia versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Busia 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.