Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dobrush

For one person, living is cheaper in Dobrush: $523 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Dobrush
Learn more

Dobrush Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Dobrush

🇧🇾 Belarus

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $523 in Dobrush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Dobrush $523

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $861 in Dobrush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Dobrush $861

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,198 in Dobrush, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Dobrush $1,198

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Dobrush, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dobrush are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Dobrush 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$6.60 BYN 19.81

-65.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$29.95 BYN 89.8

-34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.26 BYN 12.77

31.69%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.60 BYN 4.81

3.75%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.61 BYN 1.84

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.33 BYN 0.98

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.18 BYN 3.55

104.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.54 BYN 7.63

46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.69 BYN 2.06

182.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.58 BYN 1.75

143.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.09 BYN 3.28

20.18%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.42 BYN 4.26

53.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$6.93 BYN 20.79

140.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.23 BYN 12.68

-34.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$6.06 BYN 18.17

50.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.22 BYN 3.67

95.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.67 BYN 5.02

-38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.85 BYN 5.54

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.75 BYN 5.26

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.40 BYN 1.20

222.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.64 BYN 1.92

73.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.95 BYN 2.84

-24.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.48 BYN 1.43

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.03 BYN 6.09

112.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.18 BYN 24.55

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.01 BYN 3.02

56.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.95 BYN 5.86

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.34 BYN 1.03

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$14.78 BYN 44.34

260.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.69 BYN 2.06

75.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.48 BYN 1.44

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$9.67 BYN 29.00

-75.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.91 BYN 2.72

58.24%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$20.0K BYN 60.1K

3.42%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$19.7K BYN 59.2K

35.72%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$62.7 BYN 188

-0.61%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$7.31 BYN 21.92

65.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$11.56 BYN 34.68

72.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$36.34 BYN 109

2.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.40 BYN 10.21

91.18%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$326 BYN 977

143.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$9,972 BYN 29.9K

48.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$45.58 BYN 137

17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$44.26 BYN 133

-44.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$87.9 BYN 264

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$105 BYN 315

-32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$356 BYN 1,067

28.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$576 BYN 1,729

57.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,121 BYN 3,364

72.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$897 BYN 2,692

60.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Dobrush: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Dobrush

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Dobrush

$152 29.1% 35.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Dobrush

$127 24.3% 17.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Dobrush

$82 15.6% 13.6% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Dobrush

$100 19% 26.7% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dobrush

$19 3.7% 68.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dobrush

$43 8.3% 13.8% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $356 in Dobrush. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $30.00 in Dobrush. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $152 in Dobrush – so Dobrush wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇾 Dobrush

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

23:30 11:30 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

18,388

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Dobrush 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dobrush

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 Dobrush: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Dobrush, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $785 in Dobrush. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dobrush, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $326 in Dobrush. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dobrush, where all-in costs run around $523, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Dobrush it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dobrush costs $523 versus $925 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Dobrush. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.