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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $369 in Belgaum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $604 in Belgaum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $840 in Belgaum.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 131% more expensive than Belgaum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Belgaum 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.29 ₹217

-14.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$11.52 ₹1,094

63.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.22 ₹306

145.96%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.08 ₹197

-8.17%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.41 ₹38.62

104.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.13 ₹12.64

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.03 ₹97.7

114.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.99 ₹284

27.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.73 ₹69.0

124.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.32 ₹30.50

406.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.61 ₹58.3

93.44%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.83 ₹79.2

142.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$4.90 ₹465

224.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.95 ₹280

2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.70 ₹161

53.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$1.10 ₹105

10.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.83 ₹173

-7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.36 ₹34.30

338.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.42 ₹39.91

214.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.42 ₹40.08

178.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.45 ₹42.92

48.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.34 ₹31.95

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.57 ₹433

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$5.36 ₹509

239.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.36 ₹129

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.28 ₹216

41.67%

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

$5.01 ₹475

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.17 ₹16.20

423.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.49 ₹806

128.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.18 ₹112

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.56 ₹53.1

141.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.48 ₹140

457.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.23 ₹117

3.25%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

52.49%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

11.06%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$49.98 ₹4,745

40.36%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.45 ₹328

299.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$7.06 ₹670

149.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$6.83 ₹648

508.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.57 ₹719

-12.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$1.82 ₹173

217.58%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$23.32 ₹2,214

1212.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,174 ₹111.5K

1162.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$19.63 ₹1,864

176.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$25.10 ₹2,383

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$32.51 ₹3,086

160.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$23.07 ₹2,190

200.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$136 ₹12.9K

210.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$69.9 ₹6,637

240.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$296 ₹28.1K

178.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$217 ₹20.6K

137.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$581 ₹55.1K

252.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$408 ₹38.8K

273.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$466 ₹44.2K

36.41%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Belgaum: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $136 in Belgaum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 36% 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 $243 vs $100 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 131% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $369 including rent). Belgaum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 36% 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $136 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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai versus $369 in Belgaum – a 131% 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 131% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.