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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $358 in Birgunj versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $576 in Birgunj versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $794 in Birgunj versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Birgunj costs roughly 62% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Birgunj 74% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.29 NPR 198

$2.08 ฿69.2

-37.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.14 NPR 3,089

$19.61 ฿652

2.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 NPR 1,176

$5.67 ฿189

35.10%

Cappuccino

$1.59 NPR 244

$1.81 ฿60.0

-12.15%

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

$0.56 NPR 86.3

$0.77 ฿25.55

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 21.36

$0.35 ฿11.48

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 NPR 355

$2.21 ฿73.6

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 NPR 541

$3.79 ฿126

-6.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 NPR 104

$2.05 ฿68.1

-66.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 NPR 36.77

$1.51 ฿50.4

-84.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 NPR 97.7

$1.40 ฿46.51

-54.29%

Eggs

$1.62 NPR 248

$2.26 ฿75.1

-28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 NPR 1,124

$16.19 ฿538

-54.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.30 NPR 352

$2.90 ฿96.3

-20.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.83 NPR 894

$9.42 ฿313

-38.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 NPR 324

$2.68 ฿89.1

-21.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 NPR 142

$1.09 ฿36.23

-15.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 NPR 203

$1.62 ฿53.8

-18.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 81.5

$1.46 ฿48.55

-63.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 58.7

$1.28 ฿42.48

-70.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.5

$1.06 ฿35.17

-52.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.15 NPR 22.80

$0.72 ฿23.85

-79.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.08

$0.53 ฿17.49

-58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 NPR 248

$4.23 ฿141

-61.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 NPR 1,203

$18.29 ฿608

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 NPR 338

$1.63 ฿54.2

34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NPR 482

$2.90 ฿96.5

8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 NPR 20.74

$0.88 ฿29.20

-84.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NPR 297

$1.17 ฿38.99

64.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 NPR 198

$0.58 ฿19.22

122.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 NPR 493

$2.39 ฿79.3

34.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NPR 162

$1.45 ฿48.22

-26.90%

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

$29.2K NPR 4.5M

$21.0K ฿698.6K

38.73%

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

$37.0K NPR 5.7M

$26.4K ฿878.6K

40.20%

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

$31.86 NPR 4,887

$63.7 ฿2,116

-49.95%

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

$3.34 NPR 512

$12.89 ฿429

-74.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.83 NPR 1,201

$20.52 ฿682

-61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.08 NPR 2,007

$39.02 ฿1,297

-66.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

Cinema Ticket

$2.00 NPR 307

$6.58 ฿219

-69.60%

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

$66.9 NPR 10.3K

$784 ฿26.1K

-91.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,861 NPR 745.7K

$14.7K ฿487.9K

-66.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.22 NPR 4,023

$55.1 ฿1,833

-52.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.83 NPR 4,423

$24.74 ฿823

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.69 NPR 3,941

$94.1 ฿3,130

-72.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$16.34 NPR 2,507

$74.0 ฿2,459

-77.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$34.79 NPR 5,338

$490 ฿16.3K

-92.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$39.61 NPR 6,076

$288 ฿9,582

-86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 NPR 19.0K

$891 ฿29.6K

-86.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.5 NPR 12.2K

$521 ฿17.3K

-84.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$647 NPR 99.3K

$1,974 ฿65.6K

-67.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 NPR 74.6K

$1,444 ฿48.0K

-66.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

5.57

74.51%

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

Last update for Birgunj: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $34.79 in Birgunj and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Birgunj vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $132 vs $241 per month, with Birgunj 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

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

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $536 in Birgunj and $1,398 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $34.79 in Birgunj versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $66.9 in Birgunj versus $784 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $358 in Birgunj versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $358 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Birgunj 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 Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.