Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhilai: $329 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Bhilai
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Bhilai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bhilai

🇮🇳 India

$329

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $329 in Bhilai versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Bhilai $329
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $562 in Bhilai versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Bhilai $562
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $794 in Bhilai versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Bhilai $794
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Bhilai costs roughly 64% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhilai 76% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.56 ₹243

$2.29 ฿76.5

11.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.75 ₹831

$19.64 ฿656

-55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.21 ₹305

$5.61 ฿188

-42.78%

Cappuccino

$1.94 ₹184

$1.66 ฿55.6

16.87%

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

$0.32 ₹30.46

$0.70 ฿23.40

-54.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.82

$0.31 ฿10.24

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₹147

$2.41 ฿80.4

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₹280

$3.71 ฿124

-20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 ₹53.1

$1.95 ฿65.3

-71.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 ₹36.71

$1.41 ฿47.03

-72.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ₹61.1

$1.31 ฿43.62

-51.15%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹89.8

$2.18 ฿72.9

-56.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.25 ₹404

$16.65 ฿556

-74.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ₹265

$2.76 ฿92.2

1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₹223

$2.39 ฿80.0

-1.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.4

$1.03 ฿34.26

-48.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.0

$1.63 ฿54.4

-42.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.73

$1.50 ฿50.0

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.32

$1.29 ฿43.13

-70.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.73

$1.11 ฿37.03

-60.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.25 ₹23.58

$0.72 ฿24.08

-65.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.48

$0.53 ฿17.59

-45.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$4.31 ฿144

18.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.72 ₹448

$17.95 ฿600

-73.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₹160

$1.58 ฿52.9

6.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₹263

$2.84 ฿95.0

-2.46%

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

$3.73 ₹354

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₹36.43

$0.86 ฿28.86

-55.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.67 ₹634

$53.3 ฿1,780

-87.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.7

$1.21 ฿40.29

-14.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$0.57 ฿18.99

-61.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 ₹171

$2.35 ฿78.6

-23.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.44 ฿47.96

-25.69%

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

$11.1K ₹1.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

-46.23%

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

$18.6K ₹1.8M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

-30.60%

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

$32.10 ₹3,048

$62.3 ฿2,083

-48.50%

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

$3.24 ₹308

$12.11 ฿405

-73.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.78 ₹454

$19.94 ฿666

-76.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.76 ₹642

$37.07 ฿1,239

-81.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.21 ₹305

$3.78 ฿126

-15.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₹322

$6.50 ฿217

-47.85%

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

$81.2 ₹7,709

$793 ฿26.5K

-89.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,061 ₹100.8K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-92.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.83 ₹2,263

$53.7 ฿1,796

-55.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.50 ₹2,802

$24.62 ฿823

19.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.14 ₹2,292

$90.9 ฿3,036

-73.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.16 ₹2,294

$71.1 ฿2,378

-66.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 ₹7,097

$455 ฿15.2K

-83.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.2 ₹5,428

$298 ฿9,954

-80.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 ₹25.0K

$908 ฿30.4K

-71.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ₹20.1K

$554 ฿18.5K

-61.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$671 ₹63.7K

$591 ฿19.7K

13.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

5.57

58.35%

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

Last update for Bhilai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bhilai

$93 28.4%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 152% $142

Eating Out

Bhilai

$69 21%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 13.8% $9.5

Accommodation & Living

Bhilai

$57 17.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 421% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Bhilai

$46 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 137% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bhilai

$40 12.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 135% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Bhilai

$14 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 269% $37

Getting Around

Bhilai

$10 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 487% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $74.7 in Bhilai and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9.00 in Bhilai vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $93.0 vs $235 per month, with Bhilai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bhilai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Bhilai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,734

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bhilai Chiang Mai 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bhilai
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

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

Bhilai and Chiang Mai differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($329 vs $925 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Bhilai, 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: $74.7 in Bhilai versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $81.2 in Bhilai versus $793 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $329 in Bhilai versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai 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, Bhilai 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 Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.