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 $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $277 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $455 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $634 in Bhagalpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 236% more than Bhagalpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhagalpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bhagalpur 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.07 ₹198

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$9.56 ₹918

105.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.68 ₹257

111.57%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.42 ₹136

27.46%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.38 ₹36.51

102.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.15 ₹14.10

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.61 ₹155

37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.16 ₹303

19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.59 ₹57.0

247.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.39 ₹37.79

287.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.52 ₹50.1

169.23%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.93 ₹89.7

143.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.23 ₹406

282.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.19 ₹210

32.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.35 ₹129

98.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.48 ₹45.92

127.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$1.03 ₹98.9

57.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.45 ₹42.96

224.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.35 ₹33.75

265.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.36 ₹34.45

194.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.30 ₹28.95

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.27 ₹25.53

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.08 ₹487

-16.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$6.28 ₹602

191.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.41 ₹135

15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.15 ₹206

34.88%

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

$6.79 ₹651

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.20 ₹19.17

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$4.81 ₹462

1017.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.32 ₹126

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.16 ₹15.69

262.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.84 ₹177

29.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.06 ₹102

36.79%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$16.9K ₹1.6M

24.03%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$22.0K ₹2.1M

20.13%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$20.55 ₹1,972

209.73%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$2.86 ₹275

350.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.45 ₹619

218.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$12.50 ₹1,199

212.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$3.89 ₹373

0.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.14 ₹205

207.48%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$28.33 ₹2,718

2667.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,954 ₹187.5K

650.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$20.96 ₹2,011

162.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$14.21 ₹1,363

74.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$37.90 ₹3,636

148.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$24.73 ₹2,372

199.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$52.9 ₹5,077

826.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$36.08 ₹3,461

698.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$138 ₹13.2K

546.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$104 ₹9,987

400.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,297 ₹124.4K

52.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$849 ₹81.5K

70.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$279 ₹26.8K

115.42%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bhagalpur: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $52.9 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 115% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Bhagalpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $85.0 – 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 236%, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $416 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 $20.00 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 $932 in Chiang Mai and $277 in Bhagalpur. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhagalpur, where all-in costs run around $277, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Bhagalpur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.