Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bharatpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bharatpur: $353 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Bharatpur
Learn more

Bharatpur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bharatpur

🇳🇵 Nepal

$353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bharatpur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $353 in Bharatpur.

Chiang Mai $936
Bharatpur $353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $588 in Bharatpur.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bharatpur $588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $823 in Bharatpur.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bharatpur $823

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 165% more expensive than in Bharatpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bharatpur 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.30 NPR 197

72.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$15.00 NPR 2,277

26.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.82 NPR 731

15.15%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.18 NPR 180

41.53%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.41 NPR 61.6

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.13 NPR 19.43

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.24 NPR 340

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.04 NPR 461

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.63 NPR 95.3

209.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$0.45 NPR 67.6

220.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$0.55 NPR 82.9

141.82%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.41 NPR 214

61.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.36 NPR 813

206.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.87 NPR 436

-3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.11 NPR 927

52.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.75 NPR 266

34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$0.58 NPR 87.7

67.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.63 NPR 95.5

153.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.37 NPR 56.9

305.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$0.29 NPR 43.77

341.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$0.37 NPR 56.9

197.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.48 NPR 73.0

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.20 NPR 30.32

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.48 NPR 376

66.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$4.85 NPR 737

261.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.27 NPR 345

-29.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.57 NPR 390

8.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.16 NPR 24.92

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$5.74 NPR 872

842.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.30 NPR 197

-10.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.48 NPR 72.2

10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$3.36 NPR 510

-27.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$1.10 NPR 167

31.82%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$20.0K NPR 3.0M

5.31%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$22.8K NPR 3.5M

18.19%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$26.33 NPR 3,996

136.12%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$3.26 NPR 495

273.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$8.48 NPR 1,287

137.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$19.40 NPR 2,944

92.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$3.89 NPR 590

-3.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.78 NPR 271

264.61%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$66.5 NPR 10.1K

1006.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$1,943 NPR 295.0K

659.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$12.92 NPR 1,961

313.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$19.73 NPR 2,996

24.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$32.87 NPR 4,990

178.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$28.48 NPR 4,324

152.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$91.2 NPR 13.8K

428.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$65.4 NPR 9,928

372.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$191 NPR 29.0K

426.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$173 NPR 26.3K

266.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$200 NPR 30.3K

195.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.98

-44.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bharatpur: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bharatpur

$65 18.5% 78.8% $244

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bharatpur

$116 32.9% 50.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bharatpur

$42 12% 61.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bharatpur

$38 10.8% 59.7% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bharatpur

$58 16.5% 24.7% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bharatpur

$10 2.9% 83.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bharatpur

$23 6.5% 54.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $91 in Bharatpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $15 in Bharatpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $116 per month, with Bharatpur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Bharatpur

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

369,268

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 169 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bharatpur 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bharatpur

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 Bharatpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bharatpur wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bharatpur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 3 times higher, 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $91 in Bharatpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $736 in Chiang Mai versus $67 in Bharatpur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Bharatpur versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bharatpur but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bharatpur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bharatpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.