Busan vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Busan (South Korea) · Overall index 42.6 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 39% cheaper than Busan.
- Transport in Chiang Mai is 44% cheaper than in Busan.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 44% cheaper than in Busan.
| Item | Busan | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -44% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $743 | $477 | -36% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $516 | $325 | -37% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,639 | $805 | -51% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,043 | $542 | -48% |
| Groceries | -38% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.77 | $0.53 | -31% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.3 | $1.44 | -37% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.29 | $1.68 | -49% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.72 | $1.78 | -35% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.77 | $4.79 | -38% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.81 | $4.84 | -29% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.1 | $6.72 | -33% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.45 | $2.14 | -38% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.33 | $0.79 | -41% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.49 | $1.82 | -27% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.58 | $2.21 | -38% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.57 | $1.07 | -32% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.73 | $0.94 | -46% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.71 | $0.93 | -46% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.5 | $0.87 | -42% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $8.62 | $5.67 | -34% |
| Transport | -44% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.47 | $0.71 | -52% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $65.4 | $38.2 | -42% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.13 | $1.11 | -48% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.96 | $0.56 | -42% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.47 | $0.29 | -38% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $14,925 | $8,510 | -43% |
| Dining out | -39% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $12.1 | $6.98 | -42% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $67.7 | $40 | -41% |
| Fast food combo meal | $6.88 | $3.87 | -44% |
| Cappuccino | $2.62 | $1.62 | -38% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.54 | $0.9 | -42% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.55 | $2.41 | -32% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.95 | $2.63 | -33% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.01 | $0.64 | -37% |
| Telecom | -35% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $40.7 | $24.9 | -39% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $40.7 | $26.6 | -35% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.19 | $0.15 | -21% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $10.7 | $6.1 | -43% |
| Utilities & household | -36% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $112 | $67.6 | -40% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.12 | $0.08 | -33% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.76 | $1.58 | -43% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.93 | $0.56 | -40% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $12.8 | $8.03 | -37% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $46.6 | $32.5 | -30% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $9.04 | $6.4 | -29% |
| Men's haircut | $17.8 | $10.6 | -40% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $13.6 | $9.66 | -29% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,353 | $810 | -40% |
3,218 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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