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: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $311 in Belgaum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $530 in Belgaum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $749 in Belgaum.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 200% more expensive than in Belgaum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Belgaum 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.3

$1.81 ₹173

14.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿653

$10.48 ₹1,005

87.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.69 ₹257

110.78%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.1

$1.66 ₹159

9.04%

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

$0.77 ฿25.58

$0.33 ₹32.07

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.49

$0.10 ₹9.46

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.98 ₹94.3

125.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.17 ₹208

74.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.2

$0.73 ₹69.6

180.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$0.47 ₹44.84

221.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.57

$0.55 ₹52.7

154.55%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.2

$0.76 ₹72.8

197.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿539

$4.24 ₹407

281.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.58 ₹247

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.2

$1.61 ₹155

66.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.28

$0.67 ₹64.0

62.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$1.47 ₹141

10.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.61

$0.31 ₹29.78

370.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.54

$0.34 ₹32.84

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.21

$0.33 ₹31.95

221.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.88

$0.27 ₹26.14

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.51

$0.29 ₹27.69

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.16 ₹398

1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿609

$3.70 ₹355

394.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.3

$1.32 ₹127

23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.03 ₹194

42.86%

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

$4.38 ₹420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.24

$0.22 ₹21.11

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,790

$14.81 ₹1,420

263.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.04

$1.06 ₹101

10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.25

$0.50 ₹47.88

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.4

$0.85 ₹81.1

181.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.28

$1.06 ₹102

36.79%

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

$21.0K ฿699.5K

$10.9K ₹1.0M

92.10%

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

$26.4K ฿879.7K

$18.2K ₹1.7M

44.91%

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

$63.7 ฿2,119

$30.47 ₹2,921

108.89%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$3.17 ₹304

306.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿683

$5.36 ₹514

282.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,299

$4.87 ₹467

701.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$5.64 ₹541

-30.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$2.05 ₹197

220.98%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$20.53 ₹1,968

3718.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿488.4K

$868 ₹83.2K

1590.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,835

$13.63 ₹1,307

304.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿824

$32.21 ₹3,088

-23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,133

$31.56 ₹3,026

198.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,462

$22.15 ₹2,124

233.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$118 ₹11.3K

314.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,594

$63.1 ₹6,049

356.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.7K

$260 ₹24.9K

242.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$196 ₹18.8K

165.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.7K

$589 ₹56.5K

235.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.1K

$404 ₹38.8K

257.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$307 ₹29.4K

96.06%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Belgaum: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $118 in Belgaum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 96% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Belgaum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $87.0 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 200% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $311 including rent). Belgaum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $118 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 $10.00 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 $311 in Belgaum – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $311 in Belgaum versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belgaum but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Belgaum 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 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 200% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.