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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $382 in Bathinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $612 in Bathinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $841 in Bathinda.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 122% 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 ฿63.6

$2.92 ₹276

-32.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$14.04 ₹1,328

30.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$3.56 ₹336

121.07%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$1.31 ₹124

48.85%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$0.28 ₹26.08

203.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.11 ₹10.54

190.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$1.71 ₹161

25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$2.30 ₹217

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$0.74 ₹70.3

124.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$0.49 ₹45.90

218.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$0.69 ₹65.0

72.46%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$0.87 ₹82.3

128.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$3.41 ₹322

376.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$2.39 ₹226

32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$2.06 ₹195

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$0.79 ₹74.9

54.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$0.92 ₹86.8

79.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$0.53 ₹49.91

192.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$0.22 ₹20.77

504.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$0.45 ₹42.89

168.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$0.45 ₹42.25

51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$0.32 ₹29.99

78.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$3.58 ₹339

30.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$10.10 ₹956

68.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.65 ₹156

10.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$2.61 ₹247

21.84%

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

$5.03 ₹476

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$0.30 ₹28.45

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$8.57 ₹811

118.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$0.83 ₹78.8

69.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$0.20 ₹19.37

570.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$1.25 ₹118

551.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.17 ₹110

9.40%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

91.06%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$17.5K ₹1.7M

27.87%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$47.96 ₹4,537

46.96%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$3.31 ₹313

324.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$3.57 ₹338

394.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$13.50 ₹1,277

205.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$7.10 ₹672

-4.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$2.98 ₹282

100.00%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$62.0 ₹5,869

388.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$1,702 ₹161.0K

778.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$18.99 ₹1,797

188.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$20.40 ₹1,930

28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$48.09 ₹4,549

78.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$32.91 ₹3,114

111.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$122 ₹11.5K

251.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$76.7 ₹7,255

211.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$275 ₹26.0K

195.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$177 ₹16.8K

187.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$958 ₹90.6K

111.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$517 ₹48.9K

190.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

$539 ₹51.0K

15.47%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bathinda: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Bathinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 15% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $14.00 in Bathinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $103 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 122% in total monthly costs ($848 vs $382 including rent). Bathinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 15% 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: $428 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 119% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $62.0 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 122% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.