Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banepa and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Banepa: $324 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Banepa
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Banepa Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Banepa

🇳🇵 Nepal

$324

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $324 in Banepa versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Banepa $324
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $530 in Banepa versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Banepa $530
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $735 in Banepa versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Banepa $735
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Banepa costs roughly 65% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Banepa 76% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 294

$2.29 ฿76.5

-15.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 NPR 3,062

$19.64 ฿656

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 NPR 995

$5.61 ฿188

16.76%

Cappuccino

$1.34 NPR 203

$1.66 ฿55.6

-19.28%

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

$0.52 NPR 79.7

$0.70 ฿23.40

-25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.50

$0.31 ฿10.24

-51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 NPR 404

$2.41 ฿80.4

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 NPR 510

$3.71 ฿124

-9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 NPR 73.4

$1.95 ฿65.3

-75.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 NPR 90.9

$1.41 ฿47.03

-57.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.29 NPR 43.68

$1.31 ฿43.62

-77.86%

Eggs

$1.39 NPR 211

$2.18 ฿72.9

-36.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.92 NPR 443

$16.65 ฿556

-82.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 NPR 482

$2.76 ฿92.2

14.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.69 NPR 257

$9.11 ฿304

-81.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 NPR 306

$2.39 ฿80.0

-15.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 176

$1.03 ฿34.26

12.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 NPR 62.8

$1.63 ฿54.4

-74.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 52.3

$1.50 ฿50.0

-77.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 NPR 41.10

$1.29 ฿43.13

-79.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 NPR 52.3

$1.11 ฿37.03

-69.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.9

$0.72 ฿24.08

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.35

$0.53 ฿17.59

-58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 NPR 295

$4.31 ฿144

-54.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 NPR 1,177

$17.95 ฿600

-56.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 NPR 154

$1.58 ฿52.9

-36.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 NPR 219

$2.84 ฿95.0

-49.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.02 NPR 4,561

$53.3 ฿1,780

-43.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 NPR 269

$1.21 ฿40.29

46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 NPR 186

$0.57 ฿18.99

114.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 506

$2.35 ฿78.6

41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 NPR 216

$1.44 ฿47.96

-1.39%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

72.00%

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

$36.4K NPR 5.5M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

35.82%

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

$31.85 NPR 4,839

$62.3 ฿2,083

-48.90%

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

$3.44 NPR 523

$12.11 ฿405

-71.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.89 NPR 1,351

$19.94 ฿666

-55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 NPR 461

$6.50 ฿217

-53.38%

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

$66.2 NPR 10.1K

$793 ฿26.5K

-91.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,563 NPR 845.3K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-62.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.40 NPR 3,707

$53.7 ฿1,796

-54.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.78 NPR 4,069

$24.62 ฿823

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 NPR 9,849

$90.9 ฿3,036

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.45 NPR 4,322

$71.1 ฿2,378

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

5.57

79.17%

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

Last update for Banepa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Banepa

$97 29.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 143% $139

Eating Out

Banepa

$74 22.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 6.4% $4.7

Clothing & Footwear

Banepa

$65 20.1%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 66.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banepa

$44 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 114% $50

Getting Around

Banepa

$38 * 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 60.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Banepa

$6.1 * 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 726% $44

Accommodation & Living

Banepa

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Banepa vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $235 per month, with Banepa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Banepa

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

1 h 15 min ahead of Banepa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,629

127,240

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banepa Chiang Mai 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Banepa
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

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

Banepa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $486 in Banepa and $1,388 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Banepa – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $324 in Banepa versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Banepa but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Banepa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Banepa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Banepa and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Banepa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.