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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $365 in Belgaum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $608 in Belgaum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $850 in Belgaum.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 138% more expensive than Belgaum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Belgaum 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.39 ₹227

-17.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$11.72 ₹1,114

60.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$3.17 ₹302

144.48%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.06 ₹196

-6.80%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.38 ₹35.98

107.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.11 ₹10.57

227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.04 ₹98.5

112.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.08 ₹293

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.67 ₹64.2

146.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.30 ₹28.50

443.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.57 ₹54.5

108.77%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$0.77 ₹73.4

159.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$4.80 ₹456

232.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$2.98 ₹284

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.65 ₹156

67.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$1.11 ₹106

6.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.81 ₹172

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.36 ₹34.47

322.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.42 ₹40.09

228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.45 ₹42.99

164.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.48 ₹46.11

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.36 ₹34.28

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$4.63 ₹440

-1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$5.28 ₹503

213.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.39 ₹132

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.31 ₹220

38.53%

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

$4.95 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.21 ₹20.23

319.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$8.91 ₹848

110.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.18 ₹112

15.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.54 ₹51.6

148.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.42 ₹135

452.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.18 ₹112

4.24%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

53.80%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$20.5K ₹2.0M

9.95%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$49.96 ₹4,751

41.19%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$3.39 ₹322

303.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$6.87 ₹653

154.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$6.87 ₹653

501.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.52 ₹715

-7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$1.83 ₹174

215.30%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$23.03 ₹2,190

1233.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,184 ₹112.6K

1134.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$19.35 ₹1,840

188.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$25.39 ₹2,415

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$31.86 ₹3,030

169.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$23.38 ₹2,223

208.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$132 ₹12.6K

225.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$70.0 ₹6,655

241.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$296 ₹28.1K

176.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$216 ₹20.5K

136.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$582 ₹55.3K

240.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$409 ₹38.9K

262.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$313 ₹29.7K

98.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

-53.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Last update for Belgaum: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $132 in Belgaum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 98% 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 $12.00 in Belgaum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $99.0 per month, with Belgaum 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 Belgaum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Belgaum differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $365 including rent). Belgaum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 98% 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $132 in Belgaum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Belgaum – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $869 per month in Chiang Mai versus $365 in Belgaum – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Belgaum 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 Belgaum 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 Belgaum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.