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 $359 in Belgaum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $602 in Belgaum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $844 in Belgaum.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 137% more expensive than in Belgaum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Belgaum 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$2.28 ₹218

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$11.64 ₹1,110

60.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.11 ₹296

152.73%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$2.05 ₹196

-0.98%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.41 ₹38.63

95.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.12 ₹11.02

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.07 ₹102

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.01 ₹287

21.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.70 ₹66.7

147.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.30 ₹28.22

423.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.62 ₹59.3

93.55%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.77 ₹73.8

155.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$4.91 ₹468

230.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$2.85 ₹272

7.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.62 ₹155

70.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$1.08 ₹103

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.81 ₹173

-5.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.33 ₹31.73

381.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.42 ₹40.49

230.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.42 ₹40.53

176.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.49 ₹46.44

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.34 ₹32.32

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$4.68 ₹447

-0.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$5.20 ₹496

241.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.42 ₹135

26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.23 ₹213

49.78%

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

$5.08 ₹484

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.19 ₹18.14

378.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.86 ₹845

110.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$1.14 ₹109

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.59 ₹55.9

127.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.47 ₹140

451.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.22 ₹116

0.82%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$14.0K ₹1.3M

52.72%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$20.3K ₹1.9M

7.26%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$50.9 ₹4,855

40.11%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.31 ₹316

323.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$6.87 ₹655

160.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$6.78 ₹646

502.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$7.42 ₹708

-7.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$1.85 ₹176

209.19%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$23.63 ₹2,254

1204.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,147 ₹109.4K

1179.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$19.25 ₹1,836

189.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$25.37 ₹2,419

2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$31.86 ₹3,038

166.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$23.62 ₹2,253

200.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$133 ₹12.7K

218.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$69.9 ₹6,671

246.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$286 ₹27.3K

178.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$214 ₹20.4K

136.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$574 ₹54.7K

234.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$395 ₹37.7K

270.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$474 ₹45.2K

25.51%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Belgaum: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $133 in Belgaum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 26% 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 $244 vs $98.0 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 137% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $359 including rent). Belgaum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $133 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 $359 in Belgaum – a 137% 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 137% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.