Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chittagong and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Chittagong: $371 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Chittagong
Learn more

Chittagong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chittagong

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$371

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chittagong and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $371 per month in Chittagong vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chittagong $371
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $626 per month in Chittagong vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chittagong $626
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $881 per month in Chittagong vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Chittagong $881
Chiang Mai $1,914

Chittagong is about 60% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chittagong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Chittagong 73% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ৳257

$2.26 ฿75.4

-7.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.17 ৳1,503

$19.18 ฿641

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.37 ৳664

$5.59 ฿187

-3.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ৳323

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ৳516

Cappuccino

$1.94 ৳239

$1.72 ฿57.6

12.79%

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

$0.40 ৳48.92

$0.64 ฿21.54

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ৳13.77

$0.33 ฿11.18

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 ৳93.0

$2.05 ฿68.6

-63.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳73.9

$1.40 ฿46.70

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ৳77.6

$1.28 ฿42.89

-50.78%

Eggs

$1.16 ৳144

$2.25 ฿75.3

-48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 ৳891

$16.94 ฿566

-57.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.03 ৳251

$2.74 ฿91.6

-25.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 ৳892

$9.36 ฿313

-22.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ৳291

$2.40 ฿80.3

-2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ৳104

$1.01 ฿33.92

-16.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 ৳255

$1.61 ฿53.9

27.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 ৳106

$1.52 ฿50.7

-43.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ৳54.3

$1.28 ฿42.90

-65.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ৳96.9

$1.11 ฿37.22

-29.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ৳60.7

$0.72 ฿24.09

-31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ৳39.89

$0.52 ฿17.54

-38.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.38 ৳541

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ৳104

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ৳183

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ৳376

$4.33 ฿145

-29.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ৳25.83

$0.85 ฿28.31

-75.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ৳98.7

$1.17 ฿39.18

-31.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ৳72.1

$0.57 ฿19.00

1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 ৳487

$2.37 ฿79.2

66.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳142

$1.45 ฿48.32

-20.69%

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

$32.0K ৳4.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

56.45%

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

$45.5K ৳5.6M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

71.53%

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

$30.32 ৳3,746

$62.3 ฿2,083

-51.36%

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

$5.57 ৳689

$12.27 ฿410

-54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.57 ৳1,553

$19.97 ฿668

-37.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.87 ৳2,455

$37.91 ฿1,267

-47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 ৳1,714

$3.76 ฿126

269.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 ৳455

$6.71 ฿224

-45.16%

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

$36.24 ৳4,478

$797 ฿26.6K

-95.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,444 ৳178.4K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-90.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.22 ৳2,869

$53.3 ฿1,780

-56.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.79 ৳2,445

$25.05 ฿837

-21.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ৳7,053

$91.6 ฿3,062

-37.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.68 ৳4,285

$73.5 ฿2,455

-52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ৳15.3K

$464 ฿15.5K

-73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$60.0 ৳7,418

$305 ฿10.2K

-80.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 ৳33.1K

$915 ฿30.6K

-70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ৳20.1K

$552 ฿18.5K

-70.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$782 ৳96.7K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-59.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$462 ৳57.1K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-67.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$281 ৳34.7K

$595 ฿19.9K

-52.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.57

106.46%

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

Last update for Chittagong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chittagong

$112 30.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 112% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Chittagong

$61 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 80.6% $49

Accommodation & Living

Chittagong

$60 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 407% $245

Eating Out

Chittagong

$58 15.6%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 36.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chittagong

$48 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 95.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chittagong

$27 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 88.5% $24

Getting Around

Chittagong

$4.6 * 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 1248% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $124 in Chittagong versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 112% 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 $12.00 in Chittagong versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $112 vs $238 – making Chittagong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Chittagong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

21:00 9:00 PM

1 h ahead of Chittagong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,592,439

127,240

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chittagong Chiang Mai 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chittagong
Chiang Mai

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

Chittagong vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 153% more than Chittagong, 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 $557 per month in Chittagong and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chittagong, 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 $12.00 in Chittagong and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chittagong, where all-in costs run around $371, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Chittagong 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. Chittagong costs $371 versus $938 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 Chittagong. 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.