Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Saidpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Saidpur: $340 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Saidpur
Learn more

Saidpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Saidpur

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $340 in Saidpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Saidpur $340

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $548 in Saidpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Saidpur $548

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $757 in Saidpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Saidpur $757

Chiang Mai costs about 172% more than Saidpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Saidpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Saidpur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.49 ৳307

-8.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$12.39 ৳1,531

58.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.89 ৳604

14.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.96 ৳489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ৳507

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.40 ৳297

-30.83%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.31 ৳38.28

125.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.18 ৳22.51

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.56 ৳69.0

248.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.23 ৳28.32

513.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.43 ৳53.1

204.65%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.17 ৳144

86.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$8.84 ৳1,092

88.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.77 ৳342

-0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$5.29 ৳654

72.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.08 ৳257

14.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.88 ৳109

17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.08 ৳257

-21.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.31 ৳37.72

383.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.20 ৳24.46

545.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.46 ৳56.5

141.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.35 ৳42.80

105.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.18 ৳22.21

194.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.02 ৳1,485

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.43 ৳671

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 ৳788

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.86 ৳353

50.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.43 ৳52.6

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.24 ৳153

-2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.42 ৳52.0

35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.22 ৳398

-27.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.14 ৳141

26.32%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$29.5K ৳3.6M

-29.64%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$32.6K ৳4.0M

-17.71%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$43.68 ৳5,397

42.70%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$4.11 ৳508

194.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$10.41 ৳1,287

91.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$13.43 ৳1,660

176.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$4.08 ৳504

59.31%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$25.23 ৳3,117

3041.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,153 ৳142.5K

1184.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$17.10 ৳2,113

214.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$21.53 ৳2,660

14.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$20.02 ৳2,473

353.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$23.88 ৳2,950

197.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$87.8 ৳10.9K

418.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$51.6 ৳6,381

476.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$168 ৳20.8K

440.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$116 ৳14.3K

377.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$697 ৳86.1K

177.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$204 ৳25.2K

189.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.48

-46.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Saidpur: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Saidpur

$52 15.2% 82.7% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Saidpur

$101 29.7% 57.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Saidpur

$37 10.9% 65.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Saidpur

$58 17.1% 38.3% $36

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Saidpur

$65 19.2% 16.8% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Saidpur

$5.1 * 1.5% 91.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Saidpur

$22 6.4% 56.9% $28

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 $87.8 in Saidpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 189% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $12.00 in Saidpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $101 – making Saidpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇩 Saidpur

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

1 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

127,104

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, 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).

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Saidpur 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Saidpur

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 Saidpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 172% more than Saidpur, 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 $510 in Saidpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $12.00 in Saidpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saidpur, where all-in costs run around $340, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Saidpur 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. Saidpur costs $340 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 Saidpur. 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.