Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bathinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathinda: $386 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Bathinda
Learn more

Bathinda Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bathinda

🇮🇳 India

$386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bathinda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $386 in Bathinda.

Chiang Mai $938
Bathinda $386

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $625 in Bathinda.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bathinda $625

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $864 in Bathinda.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bathinda $864

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 143% more expensive than in Bathinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bathinda 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.67 ₹253

-15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$13.78 ₹1,309

39.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.58 ₹340

56.15%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.18 ₹112

45.76%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.30 ₹28.60

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.09 ₹8.57

266.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.11 ₹200

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.94 ₹184

101.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.65 ₹61.9

215.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.50 ₹47.95

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.88 ₹83.4

45.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.96 ₹91.5

134.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.11 ₹485

231.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.91 ₹276

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.65 ₹157

45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.72 ₹68.2

40.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.08 ₹103

49.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.67 ₹63.3

126.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.30 ₹28.69

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.30 ₹28.92

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.71 ₹67.6

1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.29 ₹28.00

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$3.37 ₹320

28.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$11.53 ₹1,094

53.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.66 ₹158

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.67 ₹253

6.74%

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

$6.69 ₹635

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.25 ₹23.79

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$8.21 ₹780

556.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.03 ₹97.8

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.23 ₹21.83

147.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.67 ₹158

41.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.07 ₹101

35.51%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

61.21%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$24.9K ₹2.4M

6.27%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$38.69 ₹3,674

61.10%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.91 ₹371

213.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.64 ₹631

200.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$13.83 ₹1,313

174.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.29 ₹597

-40.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.16 ₹300

112.34%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$58.2 ₹5,524

1270.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,487 ₹141.2K

897.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$12.48 ₹1,185

326.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$24.51 ₹2,327

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$57.5 ₹5,463

59.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$43.03 ₹4,086

70.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$104 ₹9,843

347.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$67.0 ₹6,363

354.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$243 ₹23.1K

276.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$174 ₹16.5K

216.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,048 ₹99.5K

82.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$527 ₹50.0K

173.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$521 ₹49.4K

14.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bathinda: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bathinda

$67 17.4% 78% $238

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bathinda

$114 29.5% 52.2% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bathinda

$62 16.1% 43.5% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bathinda

$49 12.8% 47.9% $45

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bathinda

$62 16.2% 21.2% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bathinda

$11 3% 81.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bathinda

$20 5.2% 60.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $104 in Bathinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 14% 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 $238 vs $114 per month, with Bathinda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Bathinda

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

285,813

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bathinda 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bathinda

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 Bathinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bathinda differ by about 143% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $386 including rent). Bathinda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $104 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 557% 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 $58.2 in Bathinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $386 in Bathinda versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bathinda but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bathinda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 143% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.