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 $388 in Bathinda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $617 in Bathinda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $846 in Bathinda.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 120% more expensive than in Bathinda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$2.89 ₹276

-29.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$13.95 ₹1,330

34.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.40 ₹324

131.18%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.31 ₹125

54.96%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.30 ₹28.78

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.12 ₹11.91

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.72 ₹164

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.40 ₹229

52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.69 ₹65.5

150.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.46 ₹43.59

241.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.71 ₹68.1

69.01%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.86 ₹82.4

129.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$3.35 ₹319

384.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$2.40 ₹228

27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.96 ₹187

41.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.80 ₹76.4

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.97 ₹92.5

76.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.53 ₹50.6

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.24 ₹23.00

479.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.45 ₹42.59

157.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.48 ₹45.89

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.35 ₹32.99

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.47 ₹331

34.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$11.46 ₹1,093

55.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.69 ₹161

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.53 ₹241

32.02%

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

$5.00 ₹477

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.30 ₹28.77

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.77 ₹836

112.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.79 ₹75.3

78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.20 ₹19.08

570.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.25 ₹120

548.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.15 ₹110

6.96%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

84.21%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

25.73%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$47.59 ₹4,539

49.88%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.48 ₹332

302.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$3.56 ₹340

403.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$13.30 ₹1,269

206.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$7.22 ₹688

-4.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.98 ₹284

91.95%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$60.3 ₹5,755

410.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,672 ₹159.4K

778.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$19.36 ₹1,847

188.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$20.40 ₹1,946

27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$48.73 ₹4,647

74.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$33.10 ₹3,157

114.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$123 ₹11.8K

243.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$75.0 ₹7,150

223.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$277 ₹26.4K

187.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$180 ₹17.1K

181.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$1,070 ₹102.0K

79.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$563 ₹53.7K

159.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$527 ₹50.2K

13.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bathinda: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $123 in Bathinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 13% 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 $244 vs $105 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 120% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $388 including rent). Bathinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $123 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 113% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $308 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 120% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.