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 $438 in Bellary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $713 in Bellary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $988 in Bellary.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 95% more expensive than Bellary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$3.40 ₹323

-42.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$17.51 ₹1,663

7.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$1.75 ₹166

352.57%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.38 ₹226

-19.75%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.22 ₹20.78

281.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.11 ₹10.13

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.39 ₹227

-7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$3.00 ₹284

26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.54 ₹51.1

203.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.46 ₹43.27

252.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.56 ₹53.5

110.71%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.86 ₹81.9

133.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$7.79 ₹739

103.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.91 ₹371

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.64 ₹251

-1.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.74 ₹70.7

64.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.12 ₹107

51.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.44 ₹41.53

259.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.51 ₹48.36

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.51 ₹48.27

129.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.44 ₹42.02

52.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.33 ₹30.86

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.12 ₹391

9.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.55 ₹1,002

72.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$2.17 ₹206

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.24 ₹307

-0.31%

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

$7.86 ₹746

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.30 ₹28.57

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.63 ₹819

124.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.14 ₹108

18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.32 ₹30.69

321.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.27 ₹215

263.44%

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

$14.0K ₹1.3M

50.98%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$24.2K ₹2.3M

-7.17%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$35.01 ₹3,324

100.37%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$4.98 ₹473

176.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$10.85 ₹1,031

62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$16.09 ₹1,527

158.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.08 ₹672

-6.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$4.74 ₹450

21.94%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$114 ₹10.8K

167.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$705 ₹67.0K

2001.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$27.49 ₹2,610

97.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$30.02 ₹2,850

-12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$54.5 ₹5,172

55.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$41.12 ₹3,904

68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$126 ₹12.0K

235.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$76.4 ₹7,257

211.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$279 ₹26.5K

195.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$177 ₹16.8K

190.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$939 ₹89.2K

118.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$489 ₹46.4K

211.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$485 ₹46.0K

31.03%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bellary: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $126 in Bellary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 31% 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 $18.00 in Bellary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $130 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 95% 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.

Chiang Mai pays 31% 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 $126 in Bellary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $114 in Bellary. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% 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 $438 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 95% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.