Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herentals and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,288 in Herentals, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

105

Cost of Living Index in Herentals
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Herentals Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Herentals

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,288

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Herentals vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herentals $2,288
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,178 per month in Herentals vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herentals $3,178
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,067 per month in Herentals vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Herentals $4,067
Chiang Mai $1,979

Herentals costs about 145% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Herentals sits 68% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 €16.03

$2.24 ฿75.5

698.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 €80.8

$19.00 ฿640

374.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 €11.07

$5.55 ฿187

122.70%

Cappuccino

$3.70 €3.32

$1.67 ฿56.4

121.56%

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

$3.52 €3.16

$0.64 ฿21.51

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.28

$0.31 ฿10.29

719.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 €5.03

$2.36 ฿79.5

137.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €4.02

$3.66 ฿123

22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.95 ฿65.7

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.42

$1.44 ฿48.41

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 €3.29

$1.33 ฿44.97

175.94%

Eggs

$3.61 €3.24

$2.28 ฿77.0

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.89 €16.03

$16.45 ฿554

8.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 €10.53

$2.78 ฿93.8

322.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 €13.45

$9.31 ฿314

61.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.77

$2.35 ฿79.3

31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €2.05

$0.97 ฿32.75

136.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 €2.59

$1.60 ฿53.8

80.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.68

$1.50 ฿50.6

99.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.16

$1.28 ฿43.06

87.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.80

$1.10 ฿37.14

82.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.52

$0.71 ฿23.79

138.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.94

$0.49 ฿16.34

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.26

$4.14 ฿140

122.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 €7.19

$17.52 ฿590

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.21

$1.61 ฿54.4

52.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 €2.88

$2.78 ฿93.8

15.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 €2.74

$0.87 ฿29.27

251.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 €53.7

$54.1 ฿1,823

10.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.54

$1.16 ฿39.00

337.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.29

$0.53 ฿17.78

383.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.06 €15.29

$2.42 ฿81.6

604.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.45 ฿48.82

25.52%

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

$35.5K €31.9K

$21.1K ฿709.7K

68.79%

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

$37.1K €33.2K

$26.9K ฿907.9K

37.53%

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

$335 €300

$62.2 ฿2,095

438.41%

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

$25.21 €22.59

$12.17 ฿410

107.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 €54.0

$20.12 ฿678

199.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.13 €34.17

$37.31 ฿1,257

2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.20 €19.00

$3.77 ฿127

462.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.48 €12.97

$6.49 ฿219

123.11%

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

$850 €762

$736 ฿24.8K

15.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €14.6K

$14.8K ฿497.6K

9.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 €77.2

$53.4 ฿1,799

61.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 €45.15

$24.64 ฿830

104.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.4

$91.5 ฿3,083

12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$71.9 ฿2,424

81.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 €757

$482 ฿16.3K

75.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 €817

$309 ฿10.4K

195.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 €1,175

$1,006 ฿33.9K

30.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €969

$633 ฿21.3K

70.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 €3,560

$2,363 ฿79.6K

68.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,505 €2,245

$1,589 ฿53.6K

57.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

5.57

-34.47%

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

Last update for Herentals: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herentals

$911 39.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 66.1% $602

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herentals

$420 18.4%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 77.5% $326

Groceries & Markets

Herentals

$347 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 32.5% $113

Eating Out

Herentals

$286 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 72.9% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Herentals

$167 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 34.8% $58

Getting Around

Herentals

$90 3.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 31.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Herentals

$67 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 25.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Herentals 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Herentals versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Herentals

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

6 h ahead of Herentals

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,912

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Herentals Chiang Mai 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Herentals
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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

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

Herentals costs about 145% 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 $3,433 per month in Herentals 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 $845 in Herentals.

Kindergarten costs $850 per month in Herentals 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 48% more in Herentals, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,288 in Herentals 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.

For expats, Chiang Mai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.