Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baramulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Baramulla: $361 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Baramulla
Learn more

Baramulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Baramulla

🇮🇳 India

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Baramulla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Baramulla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Baramulla.

Chiang Mai $925
Baramulla $361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $575 in Baramulla.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Baramulla $575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $788 in Baramulla.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Baramulla $788

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 156% more expensive than in Baramulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Baramulla 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.07 ₹197

10.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$10.52 ₹999

86.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.62 ₹344

54.97%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.59 ₹151

4.40%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.39 ₹37.47

79.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.14 ₹12.93

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.79 ₹170

34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.99 ₹284

24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.62 ₹59.1

214.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.44 ₹41.65

220.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.62 ₹58.6

111.29%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.91 ₹86.4

139.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.38 ₹416

280.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.87 ₹272

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.90 ₹181

25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.67 ₹63.4

53.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.91 ₹86.3

79.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.45 ₹42.44

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.35 ₹32.85

268.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.37 ₹35.06

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.47 ₹44.59

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.31 ₹29.60

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.97 ₹472

-13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.24 ₹688

147.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.60 ₹152

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.56 ₹243

10.94%

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

$4.92 ₹467

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.27 ₹25.66

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.70 ₹731

591.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.85 ₹80.8

42.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.25 ₹23.61

128.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.62 ₹153

45.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.10 ₹105

30.91%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

63.70%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$19.8K ₹1.9M

35.14%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.15 ₹3,338

77.33%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.21 ₹305

277.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.58 ₹624

203.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$14.15 ₹1,343

161.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$6.47 ₹614

-41.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.87 ₹272

126.48%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$46.47 ₹4,413

1605.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,418 ₹134.6K

944.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$21.15 ₹2,008

154.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$23.27 ₹2,209

5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$38.51 ₹3,657

135.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$27.89 ₹2,648

155.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$123 ₹11.7K

271.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$73.7 ₹6,998

304.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$260 ₹24.7K

249.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$173 ₹16.4K

220.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$969 ₹92.0K

99.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$511 ₹48.6K

182.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$344 ₹32.7K

71.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Baramulla: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Baramulla

$74 20.4% 75.3% $224

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Baramulla

$99 27.3% 58.1% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Baramulla

$50 13.8% 53.9% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Baramulla

$45 12.4% 52.4% $49

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Baramulla

$64 17.6% 19% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Baramulla

$11 3% 82.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Baramulla

$20 5.5% 60.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $123 in Baramulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 72% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $11.00 in Baramulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $99.0 per month, with Baramulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Baramulla

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

19:29 7:29 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

58,053

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baramulla 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baramulla

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

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

Baramulla wins on cost – living expenses run 156% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baramulla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 72% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $123 in Baramulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $46.47 in Baramulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 139% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $361 in Baramulla versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baramulla but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Baramulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baramulla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $361 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baramulla hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Baramulla 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 Baramulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.