✦ Compare
Bordeaux vs
Chiang Mai
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Bordeaux, FR vs Chiang Mai, TH at a glance — Chiang Mai, TH is 51% cheaper than Bordeaux, FR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $450/mo versus $850/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Chiang Mai, TH, you'd need
$36,699 / year
Chiang Mai, TH is 51% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Chiang Mai, TH vs Bordeaux, FR)
- Housing-58%
- Food & groceries-58%
- Transport-50%
- Utilities-41%
- Healthcare-33%
- Goods & services-48%
◎ How Bordeaux, FR and Chiang Mai, TH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Bordeaux, FR | Chiang Mai, TH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 99 | 49 |
| Housing | 100 | 42 |
| Food | 106 | 45 |
| Transport | 76 | 38 |
| Utilities | 110 | 65 |
| Healthcare | 82 | 55 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 55 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $850/mo | $450/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $660/mo | $300/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,700/mo | $900/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $1,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,008 | $2,059 |
| Inexpensive meal | $16 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | $45 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 7% |
| Social security (employee) | 22% | — |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 20% |
| Capital gains | 30% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $800/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,600/mo | $300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $48,986 | $8,057 |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.9% | -0.1% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 25 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC+7 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 63 | 65 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 70 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 70 |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 82 | 45 |
| Public transport | 76 | 30 |
| Family-friendly | 74 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Use caution |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr | 77 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +7 °C | +22 °C |
| July avg | +22 °C | +28 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 240 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 1,150 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: France vs Thailand. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Bordeaux
An elegant, honey-stone city on the Garonne at the heart of France's greatest wine region — just two hours from Paris by TGV and a short hop to the Atlantic beaches. Milder and cheaper than Paris, it's become a magnet for remote workers and Parisians heading south.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- French
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 63/100
- Climate
- ❄ 7°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- E · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Chartrons · Saint-Pierre · Saint-Michel · La Bastide
Good to know before you move to Chiang Mai
The original budget-nomad capital — temples, mountains and Nimman's café-coworking strip at some of Asia's lowest costs. The trade-off is the March–April burning season, when air quality collapses.
- Currency
- Thai baht (฿ THB)
- Languages
- Thai
- Time zone
- UTC+7
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 65/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 28°C · 240 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- A/B/C · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Nimman · Old City · Santitham · Hang Dong
Plan your move to Bordeaux
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to Chiang Mai
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Scooter rentalBikesBooking
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Bordeaux to Chiang Mai: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Bordeaux to Chiang Mai, your cost of living will be roughly 51% cheaper. Chiang Mai’s cost-of-living index is 49 versus 99 for Bordeaux (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Bordeaux cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is about 51% cheaper than Bordeaux overall — its cost-of-living index is 49 versus 99 for Bordeaux.
How much do you need to earn in Chiang Mai to live like in Bordeaux?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bordeaux is worth about $36,699 in Chiang Mai. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Bordeaux or Chiang Mai?
Thailand has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 45% in France.
◷ More comparisons from Bordeaux
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.