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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $385 in Baramulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $618 in Baramulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $852 in Baramulla.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 125% more expensive than Baramulla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Baramulla 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.8

$2.34 ₹222

-17.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿611

$10.36 ₹984

79.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.66 ₹348

113.66%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿64.1

$1.59 ₹151

22.64%

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

$0.85 ฿27.88

$0.41 ₹38.50

107.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.63

$0.15 ₹14.56

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.70 ₹161

25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.12 ₹296

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.2

$0.70 ₹66.6

144.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.4

$0.49 ₹46.29

232.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.30

$0.67 ₹63.9

70.15%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.4

$0.90 ₹85.8

114.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿532

$5.05 ₹479

220.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.98 ₹283

4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿357

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.3

$1.97 ₹187

39.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.68

$0.72 ₹68.3

68.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$0.94 ₹89.0

72.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.0

$0.53 ₹50.6

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.89

$0.36 ₹33.90

288.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.32

$0.41 ₹39.22

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.69

$0.49 ₹46.19

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.29

$0.34 ₹32.52

55.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿154

$4.06 ₹385

15.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿612

$6.72 ₹638

177.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.0

$1.68 ₹160

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.91 ₹276

11.00%

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

$5.01 ₹475

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.37

$0.28 ₹26.22

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿630

$8.61 ₹817

123.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.10

$0.82 ₹77.9

71.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.29

$0.24 ₹22.69

437.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿257

$1.42 ₹135

452.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.75

$1.22 ₹115

4.10%

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

$21.3K ฿697.7K

$14.0K ₹1.3M

51.68%

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

$22.2K ฿728.3K

$21.9K ₹2.1M

1.42%

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

$69.1 ฿2,265

$38.60 ₹3,665

78.94%

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

$14.08 ฿462

$3.53 ₹336

298.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿590

$7.59 ₹721

137.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,346

$16.18 ₹1,536

153.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿228

$6.89 ₹654

1.02%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿194

$2.97 ₹282

99.33%

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

$299 ฿9,805

$50.8 ₹4,826

488.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.3K

$1,566 ₹148.7K

854.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,794

$24.04 ₹2,282

127.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿878

$25.07 ₹2,380

6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,787

$42.45 ₹4,030

100.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,315

$31.36 ₹2,978

125.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

242.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,782

$77.7 ₹7,377

205.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.3K

$275 ₹26.1K

191.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$182 ₹17.3K

183.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.7K

$989 ₹93.9K

99.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.4K

$512 ₹48.6K

188.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$338 ₹32.1K

82.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-44.44%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baramulla: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $125 in Baramulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 83% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Baramulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $104 per month, with Baramulla 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

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

Baramulla wins on cost – living expenses run 125% 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.

Chiang Mai pays 83% more on average, 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Baramulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $50.8 in Baramulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Baramulla gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baramulla delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $385 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 125% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.