Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Begusarai

For one person, living is cheaper in Begusarai: $266 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
13

Cost of Living Index in Begusarai
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Begusarai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Begusarai

🇮🇳 India

$266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $266 in Begusarai.

Chiang Mai $935
Begusarai $266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $476 in Begusarai.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Begusarai $476

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $686 in Begusarai.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Begusarai $686

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 251% more expensive than in Begusarai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Begusarai 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.7

$2.09 ₹197

1.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿625

$7.50 ₹709

148.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.14 ₹297

78.34%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.56 ₹148

6.41%

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

$0.65 ฿21.73

$0.31 ₹28.97

109.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.24

$0.09 ₹8.18

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.0

$1.96 ₹185

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$6.12 ₹578

-40.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.7

$0.51 ₹48.08

296.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.29

$0.40 ₹38.24

252.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.75

$0.57 ₹54.0

143.86%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.5

$0.87 ₹81.9

172.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$2.09 ₹197

690.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.7

$2.20 ₹208

21.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.41 ₹133

70.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.98

$0.58 ₹54.5

79.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.7

$0.87 ₹82.6

90.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.44 ₹41.38

254.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.57

$0.23 ₹21.76

439.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.50

$0.31 ₹29.70

251.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.59

$0.20 ₹18.87

280.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.27

$0.27 ₹25.20

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.74 ₹354

10.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿602

$6.43 ₹608

178.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.58 ₹149

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.8

$2.09 ₹197

34.93%

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

$6.47 ₹611

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.23 ₹21.76

304.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,777

$6.92 ₹654

664.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.52

$1.34 ₹127

-11.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.18 ₹17.06

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.60 ₹151

13.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.47

$1.08 ₹102

36.11%

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

$21.0K ฿705.8K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

85.30%

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

$26.5K ฿890.7K

$10.4K ₹980.9K

155.54%

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

$62.6 ฿2,101

$11.66 ₹1,102

436.54%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$2.37 ₹224

389.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿682

$6.20 ₹586

227.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,272

$4.28 ₹405

785.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$6.41 ₹606

-42.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$1.07 ₹101

508.41%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$55.9 ₹5,287

1199.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿556.7K

$619 ₹58.5K

2577.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,798

$23.69 ₹2,239

126.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿833

$26.44 ₹2,499

-6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,036

$23.45 ₹2,216

285.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,418

$28.56 ₹2,700

152.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$52.4 ₹4,953

818.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$36.44 ₹3,444

750.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$272 ₹25.7K

289.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$183 ₹17.3K

259.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.2K

$914 ₹86.4K

164.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.0K

$530 ₹50.1K

203.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$1,043 ₹98.6K

-42.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Begusarai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Begusarai

$36 13.7% 88.2% $273

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Begusarai

$79 29.5% 66.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Begusarai

$46 17.3% 57.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Begusarai

$20 7.6% 78.6% $74

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Begusarai

$68 25.7% 10.6% $8.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Begusarai

$10 3.8% 82.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Begusarai

$6.4 2.4% 87.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $52 in Begusarai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Begusarai pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $8 in Begusarai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $79 per month, with Begusarai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Begusarai

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:16 4:16 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

250,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.58 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.53 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Begusarai 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Begusarai

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 Begusarai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Begusarai is about 72% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Chiang Mai. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Begusarai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Begusarai – a meal for two runs $8 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $266 in Begusarai – Begusarai is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Expats usually find Begusarai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.