Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Belgaum

For one person, living is cheaper in Belgaum: $332 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Belgaum
Learn more

Belgaum Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Belgaum

🇮🇳 India

$332

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $332 in Belgaum.

Chiang Mai $935
Belgaum $332

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $558 in Belgaum.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Belgaum $558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $784 in Belgaum.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Belgaum $784

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 182% more expensive than in Belgaum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Belgaum 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.89 ₹177

12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$10.75 ₹1,009

73.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$2.61 ₹245

114.56%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.61 ₹151

3.11%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.36 ₹33.94

80.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.11 ₹10.45

172.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$0.93 ₹87.6

149.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.26 ₹212

62.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$0.71 ₹66.5

184.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$0.51 ₹48.06

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$0.62 ₹58.7

124.19%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$0.77 ₹72.6

207.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$4.88 ₹458

238.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.01 ₹282

-11.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$1.60 ₹150

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$0.64 ₹60.2

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.52 ₹143

9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.31 ₹29.53

403.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.38 ₹35.84

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$0.40 ₹37.33

172.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.25 ₹23.29

204.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.31 ₹29.57

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.80 ₹357

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$5.44 ₹511

229.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.40 ₹131

15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$2.13 ₹200

32.39%

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

$2.62 ₹246

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.20 ₹18.76

365.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$14.87 ₹1,396

255.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$1.08 ₹101

9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.51 ₹48.07

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.87 ₹81.3

108.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$1.10 ₹103

33.64%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$10.9K ₹1.0M

93.24%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$18.4K ₹1.7M

44.08%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$29.82 ₹2,800

109.79%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$3.14 ₹295

269.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$5.66 ₹531

258.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$4.64 ₹436

716.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$6.55 ₹615

-43.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.08 ₹196

212.98%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$20.95 ₹1,967

3370.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$858 ₹80.5K

1832.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$13.53 ₹1,271

295.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$35.81 ₹3,362

-30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$43.50 ₹4,085

107.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$23.60 ₹2,216

204.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$122 ₹11.4K

295.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$64.0 ₹6,006

384.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$262 ₹24.6K

303.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$194 ₹18.2K

239.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$594 ₹55.8K

306.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$404 ₹37.9K

298.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$306 ₹28.7K

94.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.75

-48.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Belgaum: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Belgaum

$64 19.3% 79.4% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Belgaum

$96 28.9% 59.5% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Belgaum

$52 15.8% 51.6% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Belgaum

$39 11.6% 59.1% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Belgaum

$53 16.1% 30.3% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Belgaum

$19 5.8% 67.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Belgaum

$8.8 2.7% 82.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Belgaum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 94% 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 in Chiang Mai vs $11 in Belgaum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $96 per month, with Belgaum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Belgaum

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

600,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.65 USD

1,000 INR = 9.48 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 93.9 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 105 INR (1,000 INR = 9.48 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Belgaum 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Belgaum

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 Belgaum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $332 in Belgaum, so Belgaum is about 64% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $122 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 $11 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 $332 in Belgaum – Belgaum is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Belgaum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.