Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waregem and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $2,071 in Waregem, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Waregem
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Waregem Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Waregem

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,071

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,071 per month in Waregem vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Waregem $2,071
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $3,169 per month in Waregem vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Waregem $3,169
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $4,267 per month in Waregem vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Waregem $4,267
Chiang Mai $1,979

Waregem costs about 121% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Waregem sits 52% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.51 €20.22

$2.24 ฿75.7

904.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 €125

$19.00 ฿642

633.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 €12.09

$5.55 ฿188

142.52%

Cappuccino

$5.18 €4.65

$1.67 ฿56.6

210.18%

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

$3.86 €3.47

$0.64 ฿21.56

503.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.43

$0.31 ฿10.32

1132.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.47

$2.36 ฿79.6

158.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 €4.82

$3.66 ฿124

46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.18

$1.95 ฿65.8

-32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 €2.30

$1.44 ฿48.51

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$1.33 ฿45.07

67.67%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.50

$2.28 ฿77.1

71.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.80 €14.19

$16.45 ฿556

-3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 €10.58

$2.78 ฿94.0

323.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.48 €17.50

$9.31 ฿314

109.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.55

$2.35 ฿79.5

20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.98

$0.97 ฿32.82

127.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.35

$1.60 ฿53.9

63.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$1.50 ฿50.7

86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.93

$1.28 ฿43.15

67.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 €1.49

$1.10 ฿37.22

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.19

$0.71 ฿23.84

87.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.86

$0.49 ฿16.38

95.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.45 €12.08

$4.14 ฿140

224.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.09

$17.52 ฿592

-54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.75

$1.61 ฿54.5

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.78 ฿94.0

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 €2.92

$0.87 ฿29.33

273.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 €45.44

$54.1 ฿1,827

-6.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 €4.44

$1.16 ฿39.08

325.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 €2.55

$0.53 ฿17.82

435.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.96 €26.91

$2.42 ฿81.8

1138.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.82

$1.45 ฿48.93

40.00%

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

$40.3K €36.2K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

91.41%

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

$39.8K €35.8K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

47.90%

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

$212 €191

$62.2 ฿2,100

241.15%

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

$37.46 €33.65

$12.17 ฿411

207.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 €64.3

$20.12 ฿680

256.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.82 €30.38

$37.31 ฿1,260

-9.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 €15.03

$3.77 ฿127

343.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 €14.42

$6.49 ฿219

147.46%

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

$820 €737

$736 ฿24.9K

11.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.8K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

26.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 €83.0

$53.4 ฿1,802

73.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.14 €41.44

$24.64 ฿832

87.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.5

$91.5 ฿3,089

11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €149

$71.9 ฿2,429

130.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 €759

$482 ฿16.3K

75.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 €654

$309 ฿10.4K

135.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 €975

$1,006 ฿34.0K

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 €880

$633 ฿21.4K

54.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,018 €3,609

$2,363 ฿79.8K

70.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,646 €2,377

$1,589 ฿53.7K

66.54%

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 Waregem: 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

Waregem

$728 35.1%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 57.6% $419

Eating Out

Waregem

$354 17.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 78.1% $277

Groceries & Markets

Waregem

$336 16.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 30.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waregem

$321 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 70.6% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Waregem

$183 8.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 40.6% $74

Getting Around

Waregem

$83 4%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 25.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Waregem

$66 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 23.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $845 in Waregem 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 $139 in Waregem versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Waregem

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

04:50 4:50 AM

6 h ahead of Waregem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,488

127,240

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Waregem Chiang Mai 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Waregem
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

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

Waregem costs about 121% 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 $3,107 per month in Waregem 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 Waregem.

Kindergarten costs $820 per month in Waregem 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 44% more in Waregem, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,071 in Waregem 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.