Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Baraut

For one person, living is cheaper in Baraut: $368 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Baraut
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Baraut Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Baraut

🇮🇳 India

$368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Baraut

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Baraut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $368 in Baraut.

Chiang Mai $938
Baraut $368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $580 in Baraut.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Baraut $580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $792 in Baraut.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Baraut $792

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 155% more expensive than in Baraut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Baraut 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.91 ₹181

18.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$9.79 ₹930

95.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.94 ₹374

41.88%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.58 ₹150

8.86%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.44 ₹41.40

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.15 ₹14.39

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.97 ₹187

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.75 ₹261

41.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.65 ₹61.6

215.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.48 ₹45.86

191.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.93 ₹88.7

37.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.83 ₹78.7

171.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$4.03 ₹382

320.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.20 ₹304

-14.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.05 ₹195

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.71 ₹67.5

42.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.95 ₹90.4

69.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.47 ₹44.63

223.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.36 ₹34.65

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.36 ₹33.90

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.40 ₹37.85

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.26 ₹24.41

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.20 ₹494

-16.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.32 ₹790

113.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.73 ₹164

-5.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.62 ₹249

8.78%

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

$5.32 ₹506

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.28 ₹26.58

203.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$7.25 ₹688

643.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.89 ₹84.2

31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.27 ₹25.53

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.66 ₹158

42.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.12 ₹106

29.46%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$13.5K ₹1.3M

51.58%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

31.20%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.48 ₹3,369

75.68%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.60 ₹342

240.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.46 ₹613

209.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.18 ₹1,346

167.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.57 ₹624

-42.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.84 ₹270

136.27%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$47.91 ₹4,549

1563.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,616 ₹153.4K

818.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$21.27 ₹2,019

150.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$23.18 ₹2,201

8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$38.43 ₹3,649

138.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$30.25 ₹2,873

142.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$120 ₹11.4K

285.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$72.9 ₹6,918

318.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$262 ₹24.9K

248.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$168 ₹16.0K

227.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$872 ₹82.8K

119.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$508 ₹48.3K

182.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$157 ₹14.9K

278.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Baraut: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Baraut

$73 19.8% 76.1% $232

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Baraut

$104 28.3% 56.2% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Baraut

$51 13.9% 53.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Baraut

$46 12.4% 51.9% $49

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Baraut

$64 17.3% 19.3% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Baraut

$11 2.9% 82.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Baraut

$20 5.4% 61.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $120 in Baraut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 278% 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 Baraut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $104 per month, with Baraut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Baraut

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

20:07 8:07 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

103,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Baraut 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Baraut

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 278% 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: $464 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 643% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $47.91 in Baraut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $368 in Baraut versus $938 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 155% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.