Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Buzet

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,616 in Buzet, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Buzet
Learn more

Buzet Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Buzet

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,616 in Buzet, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Buzet $1,616

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,484 in Buzet, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Buzet $2,484

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,351 in Buzet, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Buzet $3,351

Chiang Mai is about 42% cheaper than Buzet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Buzet is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$17.50 €15.72

-87.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$76.7 €68.9

-75.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.72 €6.94

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.17 €2.85

-47.32%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$4.00 €3.59

-84.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$3.03 €2.72

-89.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$5.61 €5.04

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.82 €4.33

-24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.12 €1.00

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.64 €1.47

-12.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$3.02 €2.71

-55.96%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.96 €4.46

-54.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$15.18 €13.64

8.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$9.89 €8.89

-71.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$11.87 €10.66

-21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.97 €1.77

19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.51 €1.36

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.15 €1.93

-25.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.79 €2.50

-46.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$2.27 €2.04

-43.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$2.07 €1.86

-46.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.58 €1.41

-55.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$1.63 €1.46

-69.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.48 €4.92

-24.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.89 €7.09

122.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.38 €1.24

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.47 €1.32

89.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$1.87 €1.68

-53.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$44.92 €40.35

20.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$3.39 €3.05

-65.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.44 €1.30

-63.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$11.67 €10.49

-79.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.86 €1.67

-22.04%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$26.4K €23.8K

-20.37%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$24.5K €22.0K

9.95%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$181 €163

-65.74%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$27.88 €25.04

-56.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$43.43 €39.01

-53.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$54.2 €48.67

-31.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$17.46 €15.69

-78.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$10.81 €9.71

-39.96%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$424 €381

73.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$6,744 €6,058

118.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$90.2 €81.1

-40.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$44.08 €39.59

-44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$102 €91.9

-10.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$77.5 €69.6

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$615 €552

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$522 €469

-40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$1,156 €1,038

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$854 €767

-25.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$3,786 €3,401

-37.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$2,768 €2,486

-42.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.72

49.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Buzet: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Buzet

$522 32.3% 69% $213

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Buzet

$294 18.2% 25.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Buzet

$141 8.8% 30.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Buzet

$253 15.6% 168% $158

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Buzet

$267 16.5% 244% $189

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Buzet

$63 3.9% 2.7% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Buzet

$76 4.7% 50.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $615 in Buzet. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $77 in Buzet. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $294 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇭🇷 Buzet

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

19:04 7:04 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Buzet 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Buzet

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 Buzet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $1,616 in Buzet – roughly 73% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $2,424 in Buzet. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $615 in Buzet.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $424 in Buzet. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Buzet, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,616 in Buzet. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,616 in Buzet. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.