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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $317 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $513 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $708 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 173% more than Bhagalpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhagalpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bhagalpur 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$2.39 ₹228

-18.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$10.04 ₹961

85.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.56 ₹341

119.66%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.45 ₹139

34.48%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.27 ₹25.94

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.12 ₹11.87

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.98 ₹189

7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$9.31 ₹891

-59.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.62 ₹59.3

175.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.45 ₹43.38

262.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.53 ₹50.8

115.09%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.07 ₹102

80.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$5.18 ₹496

212.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.68 ₹256

16.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.39 ₹133

97.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.66 ₹63.6

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.09 ₹104

48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.55 ₹52.6

189.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.38 ₹36.68

268.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.34 ₹32.81

244.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.43 ₹41.18

53.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.34 ₹32.60

55.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.60 ₹249

80.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$6.39 ₹612

192.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.99 ₹191

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.29 ₹219

41.05%

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

$6.48 ₹620

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.12 ₹11.70

650.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$4.59 ₹439

318.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$1.18 ₹113

19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.21 ₹20.04

514.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.42 ₹136

452.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.22 ₹117

4.10%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$8,803 ₹842.4K

141.71%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$14.7K ₹1.4M

51.33%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$22.92 ₹2,194

201.35%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.32 ₹317

324.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$7.14 ₹683

152.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$12.55 ₹1,201

227.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$5.51 ₹528

26.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$1.79 ₹172

230.73%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$28.75 ₹2,751

940.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,879 ₹179.8K

695.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$26.46 ₹2,532

106.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$13.80 ₹1,321

93.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$42.77 ₹4,093

98.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$23.71 ₹2,269

197.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$45.88 ₹4,390

833.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$31.75 ₹3,038

647.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$128 ₹12.2K

526.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$100 ₹9,595

414.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,284 ₹122.8K

53.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$861 ₹82.4K

71.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$275 ₹26.3K

124.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bhagalpur: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $45.88 in Bhagalpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 125% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Bhagalpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $99.0 – making Bhagalpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bhagalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 173%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $476 in Bhagalpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhagalpur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $10.00 in Bhagalpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Chiang Mai and $317 in Bhagalpur. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $317 in Bhagalpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhagalpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bhagalpur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.