Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Heist-op-den-Berg

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,100 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Heist-op-den-Berg
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Heist-op-den-Berg Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Heist-op-den-Berg

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Heist-op-den-Berg

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 Heist-op-den-Berg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,100 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Heist-op-den-Berg $2,100

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,092 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Heist-op-den-Berg $3,092

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,084 in Heist-op-den-Berg, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Heist-op-den-Berg $4,084

Chiang Mai is about 55% cheaper than Heist-op-den-Berg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Heist-op-den-Berg is 55% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$22.60 €20.19

-90.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$87.0 €77.7

-78.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$13.15 €11.75

-57.41%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$4.36 €3.89

-61.93%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$2.97 €2.66

-78.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$2.94 €2.62

-89.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$5.26 €4.70

-55.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$4.51 €4.03

-18.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$1.31 €1.17

54.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$2.71 €2.42

-47.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$2.19 €1.96

-36.53%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$3.87 €3.46

-38.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$15.57 €13.91

6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$11.79 €10.53

-77.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$19.51 €17.43

-53.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$2.72 €2.43

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$2.28 €2.04

-54.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.59 €2.31

-35.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$2.92 €2.61

-46.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$2.20 €1.97

-43.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$1.78 €1.59

-38.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$1.47 €1.31

-48.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$1.02 €0.91

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$12.90 €11.52

-68.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$8.33 €7.44

115.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$1.93 €1.73

-16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$2.05 €1.83

37.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$3.02 €2.70

-69.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$54.1 €48.34

-2.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$5.48 €4.89

-78.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$2.59 €2.31

-93.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$30.93 €27.63

-94.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$2.07 €1.85

-28.99%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$36.0K €32.2K

-41.65%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$37.0K €33.0K

-28.32%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$213 €190

-70.61%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$21.24 €18.97

-45.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$51.7 €46.19

-60.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$35.89 €32.06

5.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$19.67 €17.57

-81.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$14.26 €12.74

-54.35%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$770 €688

-5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$18.9K €16.9K

-12.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$102 €90.7

-47.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$47.56 €42.48

-47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$105 €94.1

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$148 €132

-51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$914 €816

-47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$813 €726

-61.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$1,385 €1,237

-23.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$1,145 €1,023

-42.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$4,109 €3,670

-41.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$2,926 €2,614

-45.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.53

57.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Heist-op-den-Berg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$813 38.7% 162% $503

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$340 16.2% 43.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$181 8.6% 67% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$286 13.6% 203% $191

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$331 15.8% 333% $255

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$85 4% 44.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Heist-op-den-Berg

$64 3.1% 26.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $914 in Heist-op-den-Berg. 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 $87 in Heist-op-den-Berg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $340 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇪 Heist-op-den-Berg

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

41,365

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Heist-op-den-Berg 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Heist-op-den-Berg

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 Heist-op-den-Berg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heist-op-den-Berg costs about 124% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $3,150 in Heist-op-den-Berg. 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 $481 there versus $914 in Heist-op-den-Berg.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $87 in Heist-op-den-Berg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Heist-op-den-Berg, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,100 in Heist-op-den-Berg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chiang Mai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.