Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geel and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,037 in Geel, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Geel
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Geel Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Geel

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,037

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geel 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 Geel and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,037 per month in Geel vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geel $2,037
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,915 per month in Geel vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geel $2,915
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,793 per month in Geel vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Geel $3,793
Chiang Mai $1,979

Geel costs about 118% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Geel sits 50% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 €16.30

$2.24 ฿75.6

715.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 €68.6

$19.00 ฿641

304.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.41

$5.55 ฿187

89.91%

Cappuccino

$3.94 €3.51

$1.67 ฿56.5

135.93%

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

$2.70 €2.41

$0.64 ฿21.53

321.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.85

$0.31 ฿10.30

929.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €4.03

$2.36 ฿79.5

91.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €3.05

$3.66 ฿124

-6.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.95 ฿65.7

-34.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.38

$1.44 ฿48.45

85.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$1.33 ฿45.01

103.76%

Eggs

$5.29 €4.72

$2.28 ฿77.0

132.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.60 €15.70

$16.45 ฿555

6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 €11.78

$2.78 ฿93.8

375.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.92 €19.55

$9.31 ฿314

135.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.80

$2.35 ฿79.4

33.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.21

$0.97 ฿32.78

154.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 €2.52

$1.60 ฿53.9

76.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 €3.70

$1.50 ฿50.6

176.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.20

$1.28 ฿43.10

92.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.10 ฿37.17

94.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.67

$0.71 ฿23.81

163.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.61

$0.49 ฿16.36

40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 €12.14

$4.14 ฿140

228.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 €7.94

$17.52 ฿591

-49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.34

$1.61 ฿54.5

62.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.78 ฿93.9

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.90

$0.87 ฿29.29

274.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €61.5

$54.1 ฿1,825

27.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.16 ฿39.03

153.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 €1.98

$0.53 ฿17.79

318.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.50 €36.14

$2.42 ฿81.7

1573.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.45 ฿48.87

26.90%

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

$24.2K €21.6K

$21.1K ฿710.3K

15.03%

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

$35.7K €31.9K

$26.9K ฿908.7K

32.58%

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

$168 €150

$62.2 ฿2,097

170.34%

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

$21.24 €18.95

$12.17 ฿410

74.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €45.32

$20.12 ฿679

152.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 €34.48

$37.31 ฿1,259

3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$15.62 €13.94

$6.49 ฿219

140.68%

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

$1,617 €1,443

$736 ฿24.8K

119.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K €32.2K

$14.8K ฿498.0K

144.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.6

$53.4 ฿1,800

90.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 €40.77

$24.64 ฿831

85.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €100

$91.5 ฿3,086

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €129

$71.9 ฿2,426

100.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 €905

$482 ฿16.3K

110.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 €704

$309 ฿10.4K

155.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €951

$1,006 ฿33.9K

5.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 €839

$633 ฿21.4K

48.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 €3,540

$2,363 ฿79.7K

67.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,415 €3,047

$1,589 ฿53.6K

114.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,369 €2,114

$590 ฿19.9K

301.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-46.14%

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

Last update for Geel: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geel

$789 38.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 60.8% $480

Groceries & Markets

Geel

$383 18.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 38.8% $149

Eating Out

Geel

$278 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.1% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geel

$240 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 60.7% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Geel

$182 8.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 40.2% $73

Getting Around

Geel

$96 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 36.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Geel

$70 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 28.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Geel versus $482 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 in Geel are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Geel versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Geel

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

01:22 1:22 AM

6 h ahead of Geel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,781

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Geel Chiang Mai 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Geel
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

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

Geel costs about 118% 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 $3,056 per month in Geel and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $1,015 in Geel.

Kindergarten costs $1,617 per month in Geel and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Geel, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,037 in Geel and $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.

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