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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $351 in Bellary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $589 in Bellary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $826 in Bellary.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 171% more expensive than in Bellary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$0.65 ₹62.1

223.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$18.79 ₹1,796

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$1.61 ₹154

259.63%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$2.27 ₹217

-19.38%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.20 ₹19.09

290.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.12 ₹11.63

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$1.78 ₹170

31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$2.03 ₹194

82.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.57 ₹54.6

256.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.49 ₹46.77

226.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.60 ₹57.5

136.67%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.75 ₹71.9

190.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$6.19 ₹591

157.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$3.72 ₹356

-17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$2.11 ₹202

24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$0.52 ₹49.44

111.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.13 ₹108

44.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.39 ₹37.71

292.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.36 ₹34.36

244.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.39 ₹37.04

189.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.46 ₹44.02

60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.31 ₹29.29

61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$3.18 ₹304

34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$9.09 ₹869

97.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.27 ₹121

33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.94 ₹281

-1.36%

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

$6.58 ₹629

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.25 ₹23.69

276.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$7.14 ₹682

674.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.08 ₹103

13.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.14 ₹13.33

278.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$2.16 ₹206

11.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.05 ₹100

37.14%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$12.0K ₹1.2M

75.95%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$18.6K ₹1.8M

46.69%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$29.68 ₹2,836

118.77%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$3.08 ₹294

333.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$9.22 ₹881

125.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$14.14 ₹1,351

185.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$6.32 ₹604

-37.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$2.57 ₹245

161.09%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$107 ₹10.2K

636.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$1,408 ₹134.6K

973.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$7.24 ₹692

676.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$29.95 ₹2,861

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$26.58 ₹2,540

248.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$38.59 ₹3,687

94.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$124 ₹11.9K

288.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$72.5 ₹6,929

296.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$269 ₹25.7K

238.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$169 ₹16.2K

213.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$959 ₹91.7K

106.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$509 ₹48.7K

184.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$467 ₹44.6K

29.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.52

-34.62%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bellary: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $124 in Bellary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 30% 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 $19.00 in Bellary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $111 per month, with Bellary 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 Bellary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellary wins on cost – living expenses run 171% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $124 in Bellary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Bellary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $351 in Bellary versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellary but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bellary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $351 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bellary 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 Bellary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.