Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathinda and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathinda and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $393 in Bathinda versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $625 in Bathinda versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $857 in Bathinda versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bathinda costs roughly 58% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bathinda 71% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 ₹244

$2.08 ฿69.5

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 ₹1,276

$19.61 ฿655

-32.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.69 ₹354

$5.67 ฿189

-34.92%

Cappuccino

$1.14 ₹109

$1.81 ฿60.3

-37.02%

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

$0.30 ₹28.91

$0.77 ฿25.65

-61.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.10 ₹9.32

$0.35 ฿11.53

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₹199

$2.21 ฿73.9

-6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹187

$3.79 ฿127

-48.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.64 ₹61.5

$2.05 ฿68.4

-68.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₹52.7

$1.51 ฿50.6

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ₹82.6

$1.40 ฿46.69

-38.57%

Eggs

$0.99 ₹94.8

$2.26 ฿75.4

-56.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.90 ₹470

$16.19 ฿540

-69.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ₹283

$2.90 ฿96.7

1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₹172

$2.68 ฿89.4

-33.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹73.3

$1.09 ฿36.37

-30.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 ₹98.9

$1.62 ฿54.0

-36.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 ₹59.3

$1.46 ฿48.74

-57.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.83

$1.28 ฿42.65

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.20

$1.06 ฿35.31

-64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ₹63.7

$0.72 ฿23.94

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.39

$0.53 ฿17.56

-43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₹337

$4.23 ฿141

-17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 ₹1,120

$18.29 ฿611

-36.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₹166

$1.63 ฿54.4

6.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₹257

$2.90 ฿96.8

-7.59%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.84 ₹656

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.73

$0.88 ฿29.32

-70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.25 ₹695

$53.8 ฿1,795

-86.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.7

$1.17 ฿39.14

-11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.99

$0.58 ฿19.30

-62.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ₹153

$2.39 ฿79.6

-33.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₹102

$1.45 ฿48.41

-26.90%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$21.0K ฿701.4K

-39.80%

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

$24.6K ₹2.4M

$26.4K ฿882.0K

-6.94%

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

$46.00 ₹4,414

$63.7 ฿2,125

-27.73%

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

$4.59 ₹441

$12.89 ฿430

-64.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.97 ₹669

$20.52 ฿685

-66.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.07 ₹1,350

$39.02 ฿1,302

-63.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 ₹611

$3.92 ฿131

62.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.17 ₹304

$6.58 ฿220

-51.82%

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

$57.9 ₹5,556

$784 ฿26.2K

-92.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,532 ₹147.0K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-89.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.53 ₹1,202

$55.1 ฿1,840

-77.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.43 ₹2,344

$24.74 ฿826

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.3 ₹5,498

$94.1 ฿3,142

-39.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.05 ₹4,226

$74.0 ฿2,469

-40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 ₹12.2K

$490 ฿16.4K

-74.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.2 ₹6,643

$288 ฿9,620

-75.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 ₹25.7K

$891 ฿29.8K

-69.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₹17.0K

$521 ฿17.4K

-65.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$896 ₹86.0K

$1,974 ฿65.9K

-54.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$569 ₹54.6K

$1,444 ฿48.2K

-60.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 ₹49.6K

$602 ฿20.1K

-14.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Bathinda: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Bathinda and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Bathinda vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $241 per month, with Bathinda cheaper across the board.

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

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

Bathinda and Chiang Mai differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($393 vs $932 including rent). Bathinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $127 in Bathinda versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bathinda runs roughly 642% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $57.9 in Bathinda versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $393 in Bathinda versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bathinda but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bathinda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bathinda 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 Bathinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.