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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $309 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $506 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $703 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 179% more than Bhagalpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhagalpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bhagalpur 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$2.40 ₹231

-18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$9.95 ₹958

84.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.59 ₹345

108.36%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.43 ₹137

41.26%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.27 ₹26.17

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.12 ₹11.51

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.98 ₹190

8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$9.08 ₹874

-60.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.65 ₹62.7

153.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.42 ₹40.57

273.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.54 ₹52.1

120.37%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.07 ₹103

81.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$5.29 ₹509

206.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.67 ₹257

11.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.35 ₹130

100.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.67 ₹64.1

74.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.05 ₹101

60.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.58 ₹56.1

175.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.39 ₹37.38

253.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.32 ₹30.77

275.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.39 ₹37.55

71.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.32 ₹30.72

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.58 ₹249

79.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.40 ₹616

175.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.03 ₹195

-8.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.26 ₹218

46.02%

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

$6.49 ₹624

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.14 ₹13.10

528.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$4.61 ₹444

319.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.14 ₹110

19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.19 ₹18.08

605.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.43 ₹138

474.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.18 ₹113

3.39%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$8,674 ₹835.0K

146.19%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$14.5K ₹1.4M

55.11%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$23.59 ₹2,271

199.58%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.29 ₹316

326.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$7.34 ₹707

138.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$12.45 ₹1,199

238.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$5.73 ₹551

20.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$1.71 ₹164

246.20%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$29.11 ₹2,802

959.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$1,888 ₹181.7K

688.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$26.13 ₹2,515

113.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$13.92 ₹1,341

87.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$41.98 ₹4,041

97.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$24.13 ₹2,323

191.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$46.04 ₹4,433

838.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$32.37 ₹3,116

638.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$127 ₹12.2K

546.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$103 ₹9,917

397.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,311 ₹126.2K

46.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$855 ₹82.3K

71.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$273 ₹26.3K

112.29%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhagalpur: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $46.04 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 112% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Bhagalpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 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 179%, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $463 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 $18.00 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $309 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $309 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.