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: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $383 in Baraut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $603 in Baraut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $824 in Baraut.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 127% more expensive than Baraut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Baraut 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.30 ₹219

-13.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$10.55 ₹1,003

78.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$3.68 ₹350

110.60%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.61 ₹153

19.25%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.37 ₹35.53

113.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.17 ₹16.16

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.71 ₹162

29.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.03 ₹288

20.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.70 ₹66.5

135.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.48 ₹46.07

239.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.68 ₹64.3

75.00%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$0.88 ₹83.5

127.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$5.02 ₹478

218.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$2.96 ₹282

2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$2.00 ₹190

38.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.67 ₹64.0

76.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.00 ₹94.6

64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.55 ₹51.9

176.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.35 ₹33.47

294.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.41 ₹39.40

190.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.49 ₹46.59

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.32 ₹30.33

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$3.89 ₹370

17.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$7.67 ₹729

115.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.71 ₹162

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.77 ₹263

15.52%

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

$5.08 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.30 ₹28.68

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$8.51 ₹809

119.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.85 ₹80.6

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.24 ₹22.80

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.42 ₹135

452.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.17 ₹111

5.13%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$14.2K ₹1.3M

52.47%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$21.4K ₹2.0M

5.12%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$39.32 ₹3,739

79.40%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$3.51 ₹334

289.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$7.24 ₹689

141.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$16.06 ₹1,527

157.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$6.99 ₹665

-0.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.96 ₹282

94.93%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$50.5 ₹4,804

507.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,518 ₹144.4K

862.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$24.01 ₹2,283

132.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$24.96 ₹2,373

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$43.76 ₹4,162

95.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$31.31 ₹2,977

130.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

242.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$76.9 ₹7,310

210.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$272 ₹25.9K

200.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$184 ₹17.5K

178.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$1,052 ₹100.0K

88.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$590 ₹56.1K

151.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$155 ₹14.7K

299.39%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Baraut: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $125 in Baraut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 299% 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 $241 vs $106 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 127% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chiang Mai pays 299% 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: $430 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 120% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $307 in Chiang Mai versus $50.5 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 127% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.