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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Bellary versus $866 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $724 in Bellary versus $1,351 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $998 in Bellary versus $1,835 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Bellary costs roughly 48% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bellary 66% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 ₹331

$1.94 ฿63.6

78.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.37 ₹1,663

$18.64 ฿609

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.73 ₹166

$7.82 ฿256

-77.88%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ₹221

$1.95 ฿63.9

17.95%

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

$0.24 ₹22.98

$0.85 ฿27.80

-71.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.10 ₹9.92

$0.35 ฿11.60

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ₹217

$2.13 ฿69.7

6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₹283

$3.73 ฿122

-20.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 ₹51.8

$1.71 ฿56.0

-68.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₹46.05

$1.63 ฿53.3

-70.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.3

$1.14 ฿37.18

-47.37%

Eggs

$0.88 ₹84.3

$1.93 ฿63.2

-54.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 ₹716

$16.21 ฿530

-53.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 ₹365

$3.12 ฿102

22.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ₹244

$2.75 ฿90.1

-7.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₹76.7

$1.21 ฿39.56

-33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₹103

$1.62 ฿53.0

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹42.10

$1.59 ฿51.9

-72.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.86

$1.40 ฿45.75

-66.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.3

$1.17 ฿38.20

-53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹45.71

$0.66 ฿21.62

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.41

$0.53 ฿17.24

-37.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ₹393

$4.69 ฿153

-12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 ₹1,016

$18.66 ฿610

-43.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₹205

$1.80 ฿58.8

18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₹324

$3.23 ฿106

4.64%

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

$7.54 ₹722

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.97

$0.90 ฿29.28

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.73 ₹836

$19.21 ฿628

-54.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₹109

$1.41 ฿45.96

-19.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₹33.63

$1.29 ฿42.16

-72.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₹226

$7.84 ฿256

-69.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₹117

$1.27 ฿41.62

-3.15%

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

$14.2K ₹1.4M

$21.3K ฿695.5K

-33.29%

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

$24.4K ₹2.3M

$22.2K ฿726.1K

9.93%

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

$34.92 ₹3,342

$69.1 ฿2,258

-49.44%

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

$4.92 ₹470

$14.08 ฿460

-65.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.91 ₹1,044

$18.00 ฿588

-39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.96 ₹1,527

$41.06 ฿1,342

-61.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 ₹691

$6.96 ฿227

3.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ₹438

$5.92 ฿193

-22.80%

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

$117 ₹11.2K

$299 ฿9,775

-60.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$696 ₹66.6K

$15.0K ฿488.8K

-95.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.21 ₹2,699

$54.7 ฿1,788

-48.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.79 ₹2,851

$26.77 ฿875

11.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.1 ₹5,271

$85.0 ฿2,778

-35.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.65 ₹3,794

$70.6 ฿2,308

-43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$123 ₹11.8K

$428 ฿14.0K

-71.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.5 ₹7,415

$237 ฿7,759

-67.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₹26.1K

$801 ฿26.2K

-65.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 ₹17.3K

$515 ฿16.9K

-64.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$958 ₹91.7K

$1,975 ฿64.5K

-51.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 ₹49.5K

$1,475 ฿48.2K

-64.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$462 ₹44.2K

$617 ฿20.2K

-25.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.19

83.80%

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

Last update for Bellary: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $123 in Bellary and $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 34% 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: $17.00 in Bellary vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $246 per month, with Bellary 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

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

Bellary wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chiang Mai earns 34% less. 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: $123 in Bellary versus $428 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $117 in Bellary versus $299 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bellary gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $450 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bellary 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 Bellary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.