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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $268 in Begusarai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $472 in Begusarai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $677 in Begusarai.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 248% more expensive than in Begusarai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Begusarai 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.11 ₹203

-1.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$7.36 ₹707

166.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.05 ₹292

85.90%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.53 ₹147

18.30%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.30 ₹28.35

156.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.10 ₹9.77

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$2.04 ₹195

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$6.17 ₹592

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.53 ₹51.3

286.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.42 ₹40.71

259.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.54 ₹51.7

159.26%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.94 ₹90.5

140.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$1.99 ₹191

713.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.24 ₹215

29.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.40 ₹134

91.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.62 ₹59.4

75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.87 ₹83.7

86.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.44 ₹42.07

231.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.22 ₹21.12

481.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.35 ₹33.19

202.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.20 ₹19.17

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.28 ₹27.15

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.71 ₹356

14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$6.37 ₹611

187.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.61 ₹155

1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.06 ₹198

40.78%

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

$6.30 ₹605

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.26 ₹24.64

238.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$6.78 ₹651

693.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.28 ₹123

-8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.15 ₹14.20

286.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.54 ₹148

55.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.11 ₹106

30.63%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$12.5K ₹1.2M

68.51%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$10.6K ₹1.0M

149.21%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$11.69 ₹1,121

444.48%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$2.29 ₹220

462.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.16 ₹591

233.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$4.11 ₹394

849.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.47 ₹620

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$1.05 ₹101

526.67%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$54.1 ₹5,190

1348.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$621 ₹59.6K

2261.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$23.91 ₹2,294

130.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$25.71 ₹2,466

-3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$23.69 ₹2,273

297.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$27.47 ₹2,636

169.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$52.8 ₹5,066

828.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$36.87 ₹3,538

681.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$262 ₹25.1K

240.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$174 ₹16.7K

198.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$848 ₹81.3K

132.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$490 ₹47.0K

194.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$1,050 ₹100.8K

-42.73%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Begusarai: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $52.8 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $7.00 in Begusarai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $80.0 per month, with Begusarai 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 Begusarai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Begusarai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 248% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Begusarai. 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $52.8 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 $7.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $268 in Begusarai – a 248% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $268 in Begusarai versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Begusarai but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Begusarai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Begusarai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Begusarai 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 Begusarai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 248% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.