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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $386 in Bathinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $610 in Bathinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $833 in Bathinda.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 121% more expensive than Bathinda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.93 ₹278

-33.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$14.13 ₹1,341

33.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.43 ₹326

130.90%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.26 ₹120

51.59%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.28 ₹26.29

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.12 ₹11.26

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.72 ₹163

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.35 ₹223

61.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.74 ₹70.6

121.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.49 ₹46.85

230.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.73 ₹69.1

61.64%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.80 ₹76.3

151.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$3.45 ₹328

360.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.46 ₹234

22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.08 ₹197

25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.75 ₹71.4

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.98 ₹93.1

73.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.57 ₹54.1

177.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.22 ₹20.78

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.46 ₹43.32

154.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.46 ₹43.35

45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.32 ₹30.36

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.43 ₹326

32.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$8.52 ₹809

113.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.69 ₹160

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.58 ₹245

25.19%

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

$5.18 ₹491

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.30 ₹28.49

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.96 ₹851

116.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.84 ₹79.5

60.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.19 ₹17.75

610.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.24 ₹118

565.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.20 ₹114

5.83%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

83.05%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

27.14%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$48.49 ₹4,604

44.67%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.35 ₹318

311.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$3.47 ₹329

407.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$13.65 ₹1,296

204.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.21 ₹685

-8.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.97 ₹282

94.61%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$60.3 ₹5,722

407.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,716 ₹162.9K

763.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$19.33 ₹1,835

181.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$20.00 ₹1,899

30.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$48.94 ₹4,646

72.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$33.10 ₹3,142

109.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$122 ₹11.6K

247.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$76.3 ₹7,242

212.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$275 ₹26.1K

200.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$180 ₹17.1K

186.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$1,058 ₹100.5K

93.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$497 ₹47.2K

206.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$402 ₹38.2K

57.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

-39.76%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bathinda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Bathinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 58% 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 $14.00 in Bathinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $101 per month, with Bathinda 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 Bathinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bathinda differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $386 including rent). Bathinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 58% 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 $122 in Bathinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bathinda runs roughly 116% 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 $60.3 in Bathinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bathinda gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bathinda 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 Bathinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.