Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhairab Bazar and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhairab Bazar: $355 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bhairab Bazar, Bangladesh
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bhairab Bazar
🇧🇩 Bangladesh
$355
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $355 per month in Bhairab Bazar vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bhairab Bazar $355
  • Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $576 per month in Bhairab Bazar vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bhairab Bazar $576
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $797 per month in Bhairab Bazar vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Bhairab Bazar $797
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Bhairab Bazar is about 62% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bhairab Bazar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Bhairab Bazar 74% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.98 ৳246
$2.13 ฿71.9
-7.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.22 ৳1,515
$18.62 ฿628
-34.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.10 ৳633
$5.60 ฿189
-8.93%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.69 ৳334
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 ৳493
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.96 ৳243
$1.66 ฿56.0
18.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ৳44.39
$0.65 ฿21.80
-44.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 ৳16.45
$0.30 ฿10.28
-56.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.32 ฿78.3
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.67 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 ৳101
$2.02 ฿67.9
-59.90%
White Bread (500g)
$0.58 ৳72.3
$1.41 ฿47.45
-58.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.66 ৳81.8
$1.39 ฿46.90
-52.52%
Eggs
$1.10 ৳137
$2.37 ฿79.8
-53.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.50 ৳930
$16.52 ฿557
-54.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.03 ৳252
$2.67 ฿90.0
-23.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.47 ৳926
$9.02 ฿304
-17.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ৳291
$2.40 ฿80.8
-2.08%
Banana (1kg)
$0.88 ৳109
$1.04 ฿35.09
-15.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 ৳247
$1.66 ฿55.9
19.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.81 ৳101
$1.56 ฿52.5
-48.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.44 ৳54.5
$1.24 ฿41.71
-64.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.85 ৳105
$1.09 ฿36.62
-22.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.46 ৳57.0
$0.76 ฿25.67
-39.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.32 ৳40.16
$0.51 ฿17.33
-37.25%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.26 ৳529
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ৳102
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 ৳185
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ৳372
$4.12 ฿139
-27.18%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$17.93 ฿604
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.62 ฿54.7
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.82 ฿95.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.39 ৳47.89
$0.93 ฿31.49
-58.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.9 ฿1,782
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 ৳98.7
$1.18 ฿39.65
-32.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ৳66.2
$0.17 ฿5.78
211.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.89 ৳358
$1.81 ฿61.1
59.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ৳143
$1.47 ฿49.63
-21.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5K ৳4.0M
$21.0K ฿708.1K
54.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.2K ৳5.5M
$26.5K ฿893.6K
66.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.49 ৳3,657
$62.6 ฿2,108
-52.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.39 ৳669
$11.60 ฿391
-53.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.44 ৳1,542
$20.30 ฿684
-38.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$13.73 ৳1,702
$37.88 ฿1,277
-63.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.70 ฿125
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.65 ৳452
$6.51 ฿219
-43.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$35.42 ৳4,392
$727 ฿24.5K
-95.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,461 ৳181.2K
$16.6K ฿558.5K
-91.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.96 ৳2,847
$53.5 ฿1,804
-57.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.21 ৳2,382
$24.80 ฿836
-22.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.5 ৳6,881
$90.4 ฿3,046
-38.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$34.34 ৳4,259
$72.0 ฿2,425
-52.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$89.6 ৳11.1K
$481 ฿16.2K
-81.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$51.9 ৳6,435
$310 ฿10.4K
-83.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$169 ৳21.0K
$1,058 ฿35.7K
-84.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$117 ৳14.5K
$659 ฿22.2K
-82.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$696 ৳86.3K
$2,418 ฿81.5K
-71.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,609 ฿54.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bhairab Bazar
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$595 ฿20.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.5
5.57
106.46%

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

Last update for Bhairab Bazar: 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
Bhairab Bazar
$114
Chiang Mai
$237 108% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Bhairab Bazar
$59
Chiang Mai
$108 82.4% $49
Eating Out
Bhairab Bazar
$57
Chiang Mai
$77 35.1% $20
Accommodation & Living
Bhairab Bazar
$52
Chiang Mai
$310 497% $258
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bhairab Bazar
$47
Chiang Mai
$94 99.7% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Bhairab Bazar
$21
Chiang Mai
$51 142% $30
Getting Around
Bhairab Bazar
$5 *
Chiang Mai
$59 1071% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $89 in Bhairab Bazar versus $482 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 $12 in Bhairab Bazar versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $113 vs $234 – making Bhairab Bazar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇩 Bhairab Bazar
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:06 5:06 PM
18:06 6:06 PM
1 h ahead of Bhairab Bazar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
105,457
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.06 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bhairab Bazar Chiang Mai 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bhairab Bazar
  • 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
Bhairab Bazar vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bhairab Bazar cheaper than Chiang Mai?
Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $533 per month in Bhairab Bazar and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhairab Bazar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $89 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
What are total monthly expenses in Bhairab Bazar and in Chiang Mai?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $355 in Bhairab Bazar and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Bhairab Bazar about 62% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $36 per month in Bhairab Bazar and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Bhairab Bazar or Chiang Mai more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bhairab Bazar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Bhairab Bazar vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?