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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $388 in Baramulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $614 in Baramulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $841 in Baramulla.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 122% more expensive than in Baramulla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Baramulla 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿66.0

$2.27 ₹218

-13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿618

$10.41 ₹1,002

76.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.77 ₹363

98.41%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.53 ₹147

32.03%

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

$0.85 ฿28.57

$0.38 ₹36.42

123.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.99

$0.17 ₹16.42

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿72.0

$1.79 ₹172

19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.02 ₹290

18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.6

$0.66 ₹63.6

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.8

$0.49 ₹46.80

220.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.12

$0.68 ₹65.3

75.00%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.2

$0.95 ₹91.8

104.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿546

$4.92 ₹473

229.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.92 ₹281

2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿369

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.4

$1.97 ₹190

37.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.34

$0.68 ₹65.2

72.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.99 ₹95.7

70.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$0.51 ₹48.74

213.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.65

$0.35 ₹33.92

294.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.54

$0.41 ₹39.38

192.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.55

$0.48 ₹46.20

39.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.77

$0.32 ₹30.53

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.04 ₹388

14.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿594

$6.89 ₹663

155.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.71 ₹165

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.87 ₹277

14.98%

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

$5.09 ₹490

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.75

$0.28 ₹26.69

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿652

$8.82 ₹849

119.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿46.01

$0.80 ₹76.9

70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.08

$0.26 ₹25.19

415.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿277

$1.43 ₹138

474.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.28

$1.22 ₹117

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

$21.4K ฿719.8K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

53.87%

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

$22.5K ฿759.5K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

2.00%

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

$70.7 ฿2,382

$39.59 ₹3,810

78.50%

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

$14.04 ฿473

$3.39 ₹326

314.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿590

$7.25 ₹698

141.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,421

$16.24 ₹1,562

159.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿232

$7.09 ₹682

-2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿200

$2.99 ₹287

97.99%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$50.5 ₹4,863

510.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿501.5K

$1,566 ₹150.7K

849.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,880

$24.25 ₹2,334

129.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿880

$25.02 ₹2,407

4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,798

$43.46 ₹4,182

91.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,375

$31.45 ₹3,027

124.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.6K

$126 ₹12.2K

241.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,054

$77.3 ₹7,438

209.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$270 ₹25.9K

205.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.3K

$181 ₹17.4K

183.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.5K

$971 ₹93.4K

97.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.5K

$515 ₹49.5K

184.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$346 ₹33.3K

67.50%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Baramulla: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $126 in Baramulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 67% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Baramulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 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 122% 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 67% 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Baramulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $50.5 in Baramulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% 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 $388 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 122% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.