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: $920 in Chiang Mai versus $365 in Baraut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Chiang Mai versus $576 in Baraut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Chiang Mai versus $788 in Baraut.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 152% more expensive than in Baraut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 33% lower, Baraut 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$2.38 ₹228

-11.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$11.51 ₹1,102

71.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$3.89 ₹372

50.39%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.38 ₹132

27.54%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.41 ₹39.70

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.14 ₹13.77

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$1.93 ₹185

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$3.47 ₹332

11.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.66 ₹63.2

187.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.45 ₹42.71

271.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$0.92 ₹87.7

46.74%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$0.85 ₹81.0

151.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$5.18 ₹496

206.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$2.65 ₹254

6.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.90 ₹181

25.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.74 ₹71.2

44.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$0.90 ₹86.4

68.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.48 ₹46.16

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.33 ₹31.87

287.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.37 ₹35.67

197.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.44 ₹41.95

56.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.27 ₹25.63

81.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.55 ₹435

-6.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$7.02 ₹672

139.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.78 ₹171

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.43 ₹233

15.64%

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

$4.69 ₹449

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.26 ₹24.43

246.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$8.31 ₹795

560.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$0.69 ₹66.0

73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.30 ₹28.47

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$1.72 ₹164

37.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.09 ₹105

31.19%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$13.4K ₹1.3M

57.26%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$19.1K ₹1.8M

42.08%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$36.64 ₹3,507

76.69%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$3.43 ₹328

284.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$6.57 ₹629

195.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$14.21 ₹1,360

177.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$6.04 ₹578

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$2.84 ₹272

133.10%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$48.24 ₹4,616

1569.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$1,216 ₹116.3K

1143.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$22.68 ₹2,171

141.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$22.05 ₹2,110

15.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$37.06 ₹3,547

147.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$24.98 ₹2,391

198.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$120 ₹11.5K

289.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$74.0 ₹7,081

281.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$259 ₹24.8K

243.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$169 ₹16.2K

208.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$1,107 ₹105.9K

79.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$553 ₹52.9K

164.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

$157 ₹15.1K

276.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.79

-36.63%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Baraut: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Chiang Mai and $120 in Baraut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 276% 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 $12.00 in Baraut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $101 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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 276% 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: $467 in Chiang Mai versus $120 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 561% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $805 in Chiang Mai versus $48.24 in Baraut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $365 in Baraut versus $920 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baraut but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Baraut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 152% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.