Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tournai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,162 in Tournai, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tournai, Belgium
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tournai
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,162
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,162 per month in Tournai vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tournai $2,162
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,171 per month in Tournai vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tournai $3,171
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,181 per month in Tournai vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Tournai $4,181
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Tournai costs about 131% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tournai sits 59% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.90 €21.35
$2.24 ฿75.5
966.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.7 €87.2
$19.00 ฿640
414.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.16 €11.76
$5.55 ฿187
137.12%
Cappuccino
$4.41 €3.94
$1.67 ฿56.4
164.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 €3.30
$0.64 ฿21.51
478.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 €3.17
$0.31 ฿10.29
1045.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.32 €4.75
$2.36 ฿79.5
125.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.20 €5.54
$3.66 ฿123
69.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.95 ฿65.7
-30.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.83 €2.53
$1.44 ฿48.41
96.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.33 ฿44.97
67.67%
Eggs
$4.01 €3.58
$2.28 ฿77.0
75.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.25 €14.51
$16.45 ฿554
-1.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.90 €10.63
$2.78 ฿93.8
328.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.39 €20.00
$9.31 ฿314
140.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 €2.73
$2.35 ฿79.3
29.79%
Banana (1kg)
$2.45 €2.19
$0.97 ฿32.75
152.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 €2.30
$1.60 ฿53.8
60.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.29 €2.94
$1.50 ฿50.6
119.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$1.28 ฿43.06
108.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.10 ฿37.14
69.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$0.71 ฿23.79
109.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.98
$0.49 ฿16.34
124.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.04 €11.65
$4.14 ฿140
214.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.83 €7.89
$17.52 ฿590
-49.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.61 ฿54.4
15.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.78
$2.78 ฿93.8
-28.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.96 €2.64
$0.87 ฿29.27
240.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.8 €48.98
$54.1 ฿1,823
1.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.44 €4.86
$1.16 ฿39.00
368.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.70 €2.41
$0.53 ฿17.78
409.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.41 €40.56
$2.42 ฿81.6
1776.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.85
$1.45 ฿48.82
42.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K €31.7K
$21.1K ฿709.7K
68.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.7K €32.7K
$26.9K ฿907.9K
36.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 €191
$62.2 ฿2,095
243.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.05 €19.70
$12.17 ฿410
81.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.56 €42.48
$20.12 ฿678
136.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.17 €32.31
$37.31 ฿1,257
-3.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.93 €15.12
$3.77 ฿127
349.07%
Cinema Ticket
$15.45 €13.80
$6.49 ฿219
138.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$795 €710
$736 ฿24.8K
7.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.0K €29.5K
$14.8K ฿497.6K
123.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 €103
$53.4 ฿1,799
116.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.1 €47.43
$24.64 ฿830
115.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$91.5 ฿3,083
15.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$182 €162
$71.9 ฿2,424
152.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$959 €857
$482 ฿16.3K
98.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 €722
$309 ฿10.4K
161.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,380 €1,233
$1,006 ฿33.9K
37.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 €928
$633 ฿21.3K
63.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,538 €4,053
$2,363 ฿79.6K
92.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,617 €2,338
$1,589 ฿53.6K
64.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tournai
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.53
5.57
-36.62%

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

Last update for Tournai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tournai
$808
Chiang Mai
$309 61.8% $500
Groceries & Markets
Tournai
$361
Chiang Mai
$234 35% $126
Eating Out
Tournai
$352
Chiang Mai
$78 77.9% $274
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tournai
$283
Chiang Mai
$94 66.6% $189
Clothing & Footwear
Tournai
$205
Chiang Mai
$109 47.1% $97
Getting Around
Tournai
$86
Chiang Mai
$61 28.3% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Tournai
$67
Chiang Mai
$50 25% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $959 in Tournai 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 $98 in Tournai versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Tournai
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
10:03 10:03 AM
16:03 4:03 PM
6 h ahead of Tournai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,842
127,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tournai Chiang Mai 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tournai
  • 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
Tournai vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tournai or Chiang Mai?
Tournai costs about 131% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Tournai and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,243 per month in Tournai and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Tournai or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $959 in Tournai.
How do dining costs compare in Tournai and in Chiang Mai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Tournai and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Tournai or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 54% more in Tournai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Tournai or in Chiang Mai?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,162 in Tournai and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Tournai compared to Chiang Mai?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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