Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bhagalpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhagalpur: $282 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
13

Cost of Living Index in Bhagalpur
Learn more

Bhagalpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Bhagalpur

🇮🇳 India

$282

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bhagalpur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Bhagalpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $282 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Bhagalpur $282

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $461 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Bhagalpur $461

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $640 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Bhagalpur $640

Chiang Mai costs about 231% more than Bhagalpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhagalpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bhagalpur 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$2.17 ₹205

-1.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$9.78 ₹926

90.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$2.69 ₹254

108.18%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.40 ₹132

18.57%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.38 ₹36.04

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.14 ₹13.07

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$1.62 ₹153

43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.14 ₹297

16.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.59 ₹56.3

242.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.41 ₹38.51

243.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.51 ₹48.67

172.55%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$0.97 ₹92.1

144.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$4.30 ₹407

284.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$2.30 ₹218

16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.44 ₹136

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$0.51 ₹48.41

103.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.02 ₹96.5

62.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.46 ₹43.46

239.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.35 ₹33.49

254.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.36 ₹34.07

202.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.28 ₹26.26

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.28 ₹26.15

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.15 ₹488

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$6.20 ₹586

189.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$1.47 ₹140

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.13 ₹201

32.39%

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

$6.93 ₹656

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.22 ₹20.84

322.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$4.77 ₹452

1008.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$1.30 ₹123

-9.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.19 ₹18.07

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.80 ₹171

0.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.11 ₹105

32.43%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

86.00%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$22.6K ₹2.1M

17.27%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$21.37 ₹2,023

192.75%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$2.92 ₹277

297.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$6.41 ₹606

216.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$12.58 ₹1,191

201.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$4.07 ₹385

-9.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$2.07 ₹196

214.49%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$27.66 ₹2,618

2528.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$2,009 ₹190.2K

724.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$21.11 ₹1,998

153.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$14.15 ₹1,339

75.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$37.97 ₹3,593

138.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$25.37 ₹2,401

183.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$53.3 ₹5,043

803.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$36.63 ₹3,466

746.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$141 ₹13.4K

647.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$102 ₹9,691

543.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,295 ₹122.5K

86.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$855 ₹80.9K

88.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$285 ₹27.0K

108.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bhagalpur: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Bhagalpur

$37 13% 88.2% $273

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Bhagalpur

$87 30.9% 63.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Bhagalpur

$44 15.7% 59% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bhagalpur

$31 10.9% 67.5% $64

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Bhagalpur

$59 20.8% 23.4% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Bhagalpur

$7.9 2.8% 86.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Bhagalpur

$17 5.9% 67.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $53 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.1 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $10 in Bhagalpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $87 – making Bhagalpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Bhagalpur

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

18:19 6:19 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

410,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.57 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 94.64 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bhagalpur 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bhagalpur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 231%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $423 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $53 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $10 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 $935 in Chiang Mai and $282 in Bhagalpur. That makes Bhagalpur about 70% cheaper.

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.

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