Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Begusarai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Begusarai: $266 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

13

Cost of Living Index in Begusarai
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Begusarai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Begusarai

🇮🇳 India

$266

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $266 in Begusarai versus $935 in Chiang Mai.

Begusarai $266
Chiang Mai $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $476 in Begusarai versus $1,467 in Chiang Mai.

Begusarai $476
Chiang Mai $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $686 in Begusarai versus $1,999 in Chiang Mai.

Begusarai $686
Chiang Mai $1,999

Living in Begusarai costs roughly 72% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Begusarai 80% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ₹197

$2.13 ฿71.7

-1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.50 ₹709

$18.62 ฿625

-59.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 ₹297

$5.60 ฿188

-43.93%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₹148

$1.66 ฿55.9

-6.02%

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

$0.31 ₹28.97

$0.65 ฿21.73

-52.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.09 ₹8.18

$0.30 ฿10.24

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 ₹185

$2.32 ฿78.0

-15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 ₹578

$3.67 ฿123

66.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 ₹48.08

$2.02 ฿67.7

-74.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 ₹38.24

$1.41 ฿47.29

-71.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 ₹54.0

$1.39 ฿46.75

-58.99%

Eggs

$0.87 ₹81.9

$2.37 ฿79.5

-63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.09 ₹197

$16.52 ฿555

-87.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.20 ₹208

$2.67 ฿89.7

-17.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ₹133

$2.40 ฿80.6

-41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 ₹54.5

$1.04 ฿34.98

-44.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹82.6

$1.66 ฿55.7

-47.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.38

$1.56 ฿52.4

-71.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.23 ₹21.76

$1.24 ฿41.57

-81.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.70

$1.09 ฿36.50

-71.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.20 ₹18.87

$0.76 ฿25.59

-73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.20

$0.51 ฿17.27

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 ₹354

$4.12 ฿138

-9.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 ₹608

$17.93 ฿602

-64.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₹149

$1.62 ฿54.5

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ₹197

$2.82 ฿94.8

-25.89%

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

$6.47 ₹611

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₹21.76

$0.93 ฿31.39

-75.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.92 ₹654

$52.9 ฿1,777

-86.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 ₹127

$1.18 ฿39.52

13.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₹17.06

$0.17 ฿5.76

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 ₹151

$1.81 ฿60.9

-11.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

$1.47 ฿49.47

-26.53%

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

$11.3K ₹1.1M

$21.0K ฿705.8K

-46.03%

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

$10.4K ₹980.9K

$26.5K ฿890.7K

-60.87%

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

$11.66 ₹1,102

$62.6 ฿2,101

-81.36%

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

$2.37 ₹224

$11.60 ฿390

-79.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.20 ₹586

$20.30 ฿682

-69.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$4.28 ₹405

$37.88 ฿1,272

-88.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.41 ₹606

$3.70 ฿124

73.24%

Cinema Ticket

$1.07 ₹101

$6.51 ฿219

-83.56%

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

$55.9 ₹5,287

$727 ฿24.4K

-92.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$619 ₹58.5K

$16.6K ฿556.7K

-96.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.69 ₹2,239

$53.5 ฿1,798

-55.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.44 ₹2,499

$24.80 ฿833

6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.45 ₹2,216

$90.4 ฿3,036

-74.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.56 ₹2,700

$72.0 ฿2,418

-60.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$52.4 ₹4,953

$481 ฿16.2K

-89.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$36.44 ₹3,444

$310 ฿10.4K

-88.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 ₹25.7K

$1,058 ฿35.5K

-74.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ₹17.3K

$659 ฿22.1K

-72.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$914 ₹86.4K

$2,418 ฿81.2K

-62.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$530 ₹50.1K

$1,609 ฿54.0K

-67.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,043 ₹98.6K

$595 ฿20.0K

75.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Begusarai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Begusarai

$79 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 201% $158

Eating Out

Begusarai

$68 25.7%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 11.8% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Begusarai

$46 17.3%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 136% $62

Accommodation & Living

Begusarai

$36 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 751% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Begusarai

$20 7.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 367% $74

Getting Around

Begusarai

$10 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 482% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Begusarai

$6.4 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 693% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $52 in Begusarai and $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Begusarai pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8 in Begusarai vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $79 vs $237 per month, with Begusarai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Begusarai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Begusarai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.58 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.53 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Begusarai Chiang Mai 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Begusarai
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

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

Begusarai is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 75% higher in Begusarai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $52 in Begusarai versus $481 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Begusarai – a meal for two runs $8 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $266 per month in Begusarai versus $935 in Chiang Mai – Begusarai is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Expats usually find Begusarai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.