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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $392 in Baraut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $609 in Baraut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $826 in Baraut.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 117% more expensive than Baraut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.38 ₹226

-17.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$10.64 ₹1,010

76.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.71 ₹352

113.48%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.59 ₹151

20.13%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.40 ₹38.14

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.14 ₹13.15

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.76 ₹167

25.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$3.08 ₹293

23.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.65 ₹61.5

152.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.46 ₹43.39

252.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.67 ₹64.0

76.12%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.96 ₹91.1

109.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$5.08 ₹482

212.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.06 ₹291

-1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.05 ₹194

27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.67 ₹63.4

82.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.92 ₹87.4

84.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.53 ₹50.3

198.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.36 ₹33.72

266.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.45 ₹42.49

160.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.45 ₹43.04

48.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.34 ₹32.31

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.90 ₹371

16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$6.42 ₹609

183.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.70 ₹162

7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.80 ₹266

15.36%

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

$5.17 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.28 ₹26.25

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.56 ₹813

126.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.78 ₹74.4

73.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.24 ₹22.70

462.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.42 ₹135

480.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.21 ₹115

4.96%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

54.66%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$22.2K ₹2.1M

1.34%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$38.25 ₹3,631

83.40%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.38 ₹321

307.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$7.38 ₹701

138.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$16.00 ₹1,519

159.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.11 ₹675

-7.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.89 ₹274

100.00%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$52.1 ₹4,943

487.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,567 ₹148.8K

845.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$24.03 ₹2,281

126.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$25.66 ₹2,436

1.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$42.43 ₹4,028

99.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$31.63 ₹3,003

119.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$125 ₹11.8K

240.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$76.0 ₹7,211

213.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$270 ₹25.7K

205.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$178 ₹16.9K

189.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$823 ₹78.1K

149.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$460 ₹43.6K

231.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$162 ₹15.4K

291.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Baraut: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $125 in Baraut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 292% 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 $11.00 in Baraut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $104 per month, with Baraut 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 Baraut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baraut is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chiang Mai pays 292% 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Baraut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baraut runs roughly 126% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $52.1 in Baraut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Baraut gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Baraut is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Baraut 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 Baraut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.