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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $439 in Bellary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $710 in Bellary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $980 in Bellary.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 94% more expensive than in Bellary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bellary 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.4

$3.51 ₹336

-41.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿626

$17.26 ₹1,651

8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿263

$1.76 ₹169

346.59%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.9

$2.41 ₹230

-15.77%

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

$0.80 ฿26.71

$0.22 ₹20.95

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.71

$0.11 ₹10.38

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$2.31 ₹221

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.06 ₹293

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.8

$0.55 ₹52.5

214.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$0.49 ₹46.73

220.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.10

$0.60 ₹57.4

100.00%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿66.0

$0.82 ₹78.6

140.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿543

$7.62 ₹729

112.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.74 ₹357

-18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿361

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.6

$2.65 ₹253

4.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.05

$0.80 ₹76.6

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.1

$1.14 ₹109

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.3

$0.41 ₹39.11

287.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.63

$0.51 ₹49.16

172.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.67

$0.50 ₹47.67

132.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.11

$0.48 ₹45.56

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.35

$0.32 ₹30.98

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$4.17 ₹398

11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$10.27 ₹982

73.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.8

$2.15 ₹206

-16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.35 ₹321

-0.30%

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

$7.52 ₹719

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

$0.28 ₹26.55

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

$8.65 ₹827

115.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.17

$1.17 ₹112

20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.82

$0.33 ₹31.12

306.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿271

$2.28 ₹218

255.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.27

$1.19 ₹114

3.36%

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

$21.4K ฿717.0K

$14.2K ₹1.4M

50.69%

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

$21.8K ฿730.0K

$24.6K ₹2.4M

-11.41%

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

$71.3 ฿2,386

$34.65 ₹3,314

105.86%

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

$14.01 ฿469

$4.98 ₹477

181.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿600

$10.63 ₹1,017

68.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

$15.99 ₹1,529

155.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$6.94 ₹663

-0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$4.55 ₹435

25.71%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$118 ₹11.3K

161.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿491.0K

$708 ₹67.7K

1972.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,865

$27.99 ₹2,677

99.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿871

$29.64 ₹2,835

-12.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,837

$53.6 ₹5,124

58.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,375

$40.17 ₹3,842

76.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

$123 ₹11.8K

243.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

$76.1 ₹7,276

218.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

$270 ₹25.8K

195.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

$182 ₹17.4K

177.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

$942 ₹90.1K

103.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

$464 ₹44.4K

215.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$465 ₹44.4K

28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.19

-45.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bellary: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $123 in Bellary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 28% 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 $17.00 in Bellary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $129 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 94% 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 28% 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 $123 in Bellary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Chiang Mai versus $118 in Bellary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bellary gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $439 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 94% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.