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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $360 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $559 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $758 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Bhavnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhavnagar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bhavnagar 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$1.66 ₹157

18.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$9.08 ₹859

102.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$3.41 ₹323

130.79%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$1.45 ₹137

34.48%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$0.40 ₹37.76

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.19 ₹17.96

68.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$2.07 ₹196

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$2.69 ₹255

36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$0.66 ₹62.2

151.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$0.41 ₹38.85

280.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$0.56 ₹52.7

112.50%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$0.99 ₹93.4

101.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$5.03 ₹476

222.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$3.18 ₹300

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$1.44 ₹136

84.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$0.63 ₹59.9

93.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$0.95 ₹89.8

73.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$0.59 ₹55.7

162.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$0.36 ₹33.72

269.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$0.44 ₹41.44

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$0.55 ₹51.7

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$0.30 ₹28.69

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$3.90 ₹369

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$7.49 ₹709

126.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$2.36 ₹223

-22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$2.87 ₹272

10.80%

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

$5.32 ₹503

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$0.34 ₹32.16

167.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$6.29 ₹595

197.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$0.59 ₹56.3

138.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$0.15 ₹14.61

793.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$1.14 ₹108

614.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.13 ₹107

13.27%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

90.61%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$20.0K ₹1.9M

12.24%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$34.38 ₹3,252

105.00%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$3.29 ₹311

327.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$6.55 ₹619

169.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$11.18 ₹1,058

269.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$2.28 ₹216

196.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$3.00 ₹283

98.67%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$35.79 ₹3,386

746.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$942 ₹89.1K

1488.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$24.18 ₹2,288

126.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$24.48 ₹2,316

7.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$43.32 ₹4,098

98.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$32.33 ₹3,059

115.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$126 ₹11.9K

239.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$65.2 ₹6,170

266.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$251 ₹23.8K

222.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$150 ₹14.2K

239.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$754 ₹71.4K

168.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$296 ₹28.0K

407.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

$249 ₹23.5K

150.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.91

-43.88%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Bhavnagar: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Bhavnagar. 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 150% 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 $9.00 in Bhavnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $106 – making Bhavnagar 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 Bhavnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 135%, 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 $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $541 in Bhavnagar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $848 in Chiang Mai and $360 in Bhavnagar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 198% less in Bhavnagar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $848 in Chiang Mai and $360 in Bhavnagar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhavnagar – 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 Bhavnagar. 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.