Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Birendranagar and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Birendranagar: $153 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Birendranagar
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Birendranagar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Birendranagar

🇳🇵 Nepal

$153

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $153 per month in Birendranagar vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Birendranagar $153
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $289 per month in Birendranagar vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Birendranagar $289
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $425 per month in Birendranagar vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Birendranagar $425
Chiang Mai $1,903

Birendranagar is about 84% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Birendranagar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Birendranagar 89% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.59 NPR 241

$2.29 ฿76.5

-30.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.15 NPR 2,454

$19.64 ฿656

-17.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

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

$0.41 NPR 61.7

$0.70 ฿23.40

-41.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.40

$0.31 ฿10.24

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 NPR 93.0

$1.95 ฿65.3

-68.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 NPR 117

$1.31 ฿43.62

-41.22%

Eggs

$1.15 NPR 175

$2.18 ฿72.9

-47.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.37 NPR 1,120

$16.65 ฿556

-55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 NPR 490

$2.76 ฿92.2

16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 NPR 289

$2.39 ฿80.0

-20.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 NPR 203

$1.03 ฿34.26

30.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 143

$1.63 ฿54.4

-42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.7

$1.50 ฿50.0

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 NPR 47.78

$1.29 ฿43.13

-75.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 NPR 104

$1.11 ฿37.03

-38.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.13 NPR 19.99

$0.72 ฿24.08

-81.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 37.75

$0.53 ฿17.59

-52.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.65 NPR 251

$4.31 ฿144

-61.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 NPR 178

$1.44 ฿47.96

-18.75%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$3.24 NPR 493

$12.11 ฿405

-73.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.62 NPR 1,005

$19.94 ฿666

-66.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.89 NPR 1,502

$37.07 ฿1,239

-73.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$2.33 NPR 355

$6.50 ฿217

-64.15%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 NPR 1,529

$53.7 ฿1,796

-81.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.22 NPR 5,048

$90.9 ฿3,036

-63.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.22 NPR 3,985

$71.1 ฿2,378

-63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

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)

$192 NPR 29.2K

$591 ฿19.7K

-67.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Birendranagar: 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

Birendranagar

$82 * 53.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 188% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Birendranagar

$31 * 20.5%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 246% $77

Eating Out

Birendranagar

$15 * 10%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 417% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Birendranagar

$15 9.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 244% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Birendranagar

$9.9 * 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 857% $85

Getting Around

Birendranagar

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Accommodation & Living

Birendranagar

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 208% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Birendranagar versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $82.0 vs $235 – making Birendranagar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Birendranagar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

1 h 15 min ahead of Birendranagar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,914

127,240

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 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 NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Birendranagar Chiang Mai 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Birendranagar
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

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

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 507%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $229 per month in Birendranagar and $1,388 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 188% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Birendranagar and $20.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Birendranagar, where all-in costs run around $153, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Birendranagar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Birendranagar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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