Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montana and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Montana: $833 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Montana
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Montana Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Montana

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$833

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $833 per month in Montana vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montana $833
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,339 per month in Montana vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montana $1,339
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,846 per month in Montana vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Montana $1,846
Chiang Mai $1,914

Montana is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Montana and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Montana 38% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 BGN 15.83

$2.26 ฿75.7

300.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.16 BGN 63.3

$19.18 ฿644

88.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 BGN 17.24

$5.59 ฿188

76.21%

Cappuccino

$1.39 BGN 2.43

$1.72 ฿57.9

-19.19%

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

$1.38 BGN 2.42

$0.64 ฿21.63

115.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 BGN 1.94

$0.33 ฿11.22

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 BGN 2.24

$2.36 ฿79.1

-45.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 BGN 1.77

$3.90 ฿131

-74.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 BGN 2.96

$2.05 ฿68.9

-17.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 BGN 1.76

$1.40 ฿46.89

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 BGN 3.68

$1.28 ฿43.06

64.06%

Eggs

$2.72 BGN 4.77

$2.25 ฿75.6

20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 BGN 17.03

$16.94 ฿568

-42.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 BGN 5.68

$2.74 ฿92.0

18.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 BGN 22.10

$9.36 ฿314

34.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 BGN 2.12

$2.40 ฿80.6

-49.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 BGN 3.12

$1.01 ฿34.05

76.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 3.07

$1.61 ฿54.1

9.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 BGN 4.49

$1.52 ฿50.9

68.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 BGN 1.23

$1.28 ฿43.07

-45.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 BGN 1.62

$1.11 ฿37.36

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 BGN 1.58

$0.72 ฿24.18

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 BGN 0.86

$0.52 ฿17.61

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 BGN 6.44

$4.33 ฿145

-15.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.31 BGN 11.04

$17.73 ฿595

-64.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 BGN 1.55

$1.63 ฿54.6

-45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 BGN 1.97

$2.85 ฿95.7

-60.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 BGN 1.56

$0.85 ฿28.42

4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 BGN 42.50

$53.9 ฿1,808

-54.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 BGN 1.15

$1.17 ฿39.33

-43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 BGN 0.83

$0.57 ฿19.07

-17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 BGN 18.12

$2.37 ฿79.5

337.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 BGN 2.76

$1.45 ฿48.51

8.97%

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

$19.6K BGN 34.3K

$20.5K ฿686.9K

-4.27%

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

$23.7K BGN 41.5K

$26.5K ฿889.5K

-10.66%

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

$99.8 BGN 175

$62.3 ฿2,091

60.07%

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

$18.72 BGN 32.77

$12.27 ฿412

52.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.52 BGN 14.90

$19.97 ฿670

-57.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 BGN 52.3

$37.91 ฿1,272

-21.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 BGN 30.10

$3.76 ฿126

357.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 BGN 9.29

$6.71 ฿225

-20.86%

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

$522 BGN 914

$797 ฿26.7K

-34.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,479 BGN 9,589

$14.8K ฿497.6K

-63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 BGN 119

$53.3 ฿1,787

27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.05 BGN 73.6

$25.05 ฿840

67.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 BGN 166

$91.6 ฿3,074

3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 BGN 183

$73.5 ฿2,465

42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 BGN 374

$464 ฿15.6K

-53.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 BGN 280

$305 ฿10.2K

-47.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 BGN 707

$915 ฿30.7K

-55.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 BGN 532

$552 ฿18.5K

-45.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,329 BGN 2,326

$1,912 ฿64.1K

-30.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 BGN 1,886

$1,438 ฿48.3K

-25.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$992 BGN 1,737

$595 ฿20.0K

66.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

5.57

-44.34%

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

Last update for Montana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Montana

$199 23.9%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 19.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Montana

$160 19.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 90.5% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Montana

$139 16.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 21.3% $30

Eating Out

Montana

$137 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 42.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montana

$127 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 25.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Montana

$40 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 26.8% $11

Getting Around

Montana

$31 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 98.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Montana 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 67% higher in Montana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Montana versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Montana vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Montana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇬 Montana

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

03:43 3:43 AM

4 h ahead of Montana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,502

127,240

💱 Currency

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.51 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.51 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montana Chiang Mai 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montana
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Montana, 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 $1,250 per month in Montana 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 Montana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $522 per month in Montana and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% 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 Montana, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Montana 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. Montana costs $833 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 Montana. 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.