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: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $435 in Bellary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $724 in Bellary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $1,013 in Bellary.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 100% more expensive than Bellary, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bellary 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$3.51 ₹334

-43.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$17.60 ₹1,674

6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$1.72 ₹163

350.58%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$2.28 ₹217

-15.79%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.22 ₹20.80

259.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.13 ₹12.49

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.38 ₹227

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.98 ₹283

22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.53 ₹50.7

211.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.45 ₹43.02

262.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.59 ₹56.4

101.69%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$0.83 ₹78.8

140.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$7.40 ₹704

115.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$3.69 ₹351

-17.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$2.58 ₹246

6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.74 ₹70.8

59.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.14 ₹108

43.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.41 ₹38.80

270.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.48 ₹45.45

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.50 ₹47.26

138.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.47 ₹44.92

48.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.33 ₹31.24

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$3.95 ₹375

15.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$10.64 ₹1,012

55.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$2.08 ₹198

-12.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$3.41 ₹324

-6.16%

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

$7.50 ₹714

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.30 ₹28.73

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$8.66 ₹824

116.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.13 ₹107

20.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.36 ₹33.86

272.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.34 ₹223

235.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.19 ₹113

3.36%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

57.23%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$24.6K ₹2.3M

-8.48%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$34.21 ₹3,253

106.20%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$4.92 ₹468

178.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$10.89 ₹1,036

60.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$16.05 ₹1,527

157.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$6.88 ₹654

1.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$4.57 ₹434

26.26%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$115 ₹11.0K

166.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$700 ₹66.6K

1985.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$27.66 ₹2,630

101.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$30.14 ₹2,867

-13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$53.6 ₹5,100

59.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$40.53 ₹3,854

78.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

243.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$77.4 ₹7,360

208.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$269 ₹25.6K

203.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$182 ₹17.3K

181.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$1,036 ₹98.5K

91.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$584 ₹55.6K

153.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$474 ₹45.1K

30.45%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bellary: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $125 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $18.00 in Bellary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $127 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 100% 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 30% 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Bellary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Chiang Mai versus $115 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 $435 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 100% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.