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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $976 per month in Benares vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Benares vs $1,360 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,172 per month in Benares vs $1,867 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Benares costs about 14% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Benares and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Benares 27% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 MUR 316

$2.04 ฿68.2

230.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.23 MUR 2,025

$18.71 ฿624

131.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 MUR 305

$7.86 ฿262

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.03 ฿67.7

31.03%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.37

$0.80 ฿26.64

28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.28

$0.35 ฿11.68

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 MUR 99.5

$2.14 ฿71.5

-0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MUR 126

$3.67 ฿122

-26.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.1

$1.73 ฿57.6

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MUR 32.97

$1.57 ฿52.4

-55.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MUR 60.2

$1.20 ฿39.99

6.67%

Eggs

$2.23 MUR 104

$1.97 ฿65.8

13.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 MUR 454

$16.23 ฿541

-40.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 MUR 285

$3.06 ฿102

99.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 MUR 485

$10.80 ฿360

-4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 92.2

$2.77 ฿92.3

-28.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MUR 94.0

$1.17 ฿38.94

71.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 69.7

$1.71 ฿57.0

-12.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 122

$1.59 ฿53.2

63.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.84

$1.39 ฿46.51

-26.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.65

$1.16 ฿38.56

-12.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 MUR 37.72

$0.66 ฿22.05

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.32

$0.52 ฿17.31

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.12 MUR 286

$4.65 ฿155

31.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 MUR 385

$17.78 ฿593

-53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 MUR 84.7

$1.79 ฿59.6

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MUR 102

$3.34 ฿111

-35.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.72

$0.91 ฿30.27

9.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MUR 210

$1.41 ฿47.04

218.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 MUR 122

$1.34 ฿44.70

94.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.48 MUR 725

$8.11 ฿270

90.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MUR 68.4

$1.23 ฿41.16

18.70%

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

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

$21.4K ฿715.1K

65.24%

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

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

$21.8K ฿728.0K

30.29%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,361

$71.3 ฿2,379

-29.33%

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

$18.43 MUR 863

$14.01 ฿467

31.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.92 MUR 1,495

$17.93 ฿598

78.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.06 MUR 1,783

$40.82 ฿1,362

-6.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

Cinema Ticket

$6.14 MUR 287

$5.72 ฿191

7.34%

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

$155 MUR 7,258

$308 ฿10.3K

-49.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MUR 184.6K

$14.7K ฿489.7K

-73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.62 MUR 2,324

$55.8 ฿1,860

-11.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 MUR 2,042

$26.04 ฿869

67.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 MUR 3,790

$84.8 ฿2,829

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 MUR 3,759

$71.0 ฿2,368

13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 MUR 24.4K

$423 ฿14.1K

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 MUR 16.6K

$242 ฿8,088

45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 MUR 44.0K

$797 ฿26.6K

17.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 MUR 34.0K

$507 ฿16.9K

43.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

25.00%

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

Last update for Benares: July 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $520 in Benares versus $423 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Benares versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Benares vs $244 in Chiang Mai – so Benares wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $976 in Benares, $852 in Chiang Mai – roughly 14% apart. Benares costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,464 per month in Benares and $1,279 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Benares and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Benares – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $852, than in Benares at $976. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benares it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $852 in Chiang Mai to $976 in Benares. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benares makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.