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 $920 per month in Chiang Mai vs $325 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai vs $507 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,895 per month in Chiang Mai vs $689 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 183% more than Bhavnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhavnagar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 33% lower, Bhavnagar 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$1.54 ₹147

37.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$9.27 ₹888

113.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$2.94 ₹282

98.98%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.28 ₹122

37.50%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.35 ₹33.34

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.14 ₹13.02

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$2.11 ₹202

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$2.54 ₹243

52.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.63 ₹59.9

201.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.40 ₹38.69

317.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$0.53 ₹50.4

154.72%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$0.99 ₹95.1

116.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$4.48 ₹429

254.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$2.88 ₹275

-1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.68 ₹160

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.62 ₹59.5

72.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$0.82 ₹78.5

85.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.49 ₹46.82

206.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.37 ₹35.46

245.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.40 ₹38.52

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.48 ₹46.11

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.25 ₹23.74

96.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.89 ₹468

-12.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$7.43 ₹711

125.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.79 ₹171

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.69 ₹257

4.46%

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

$4.83 ₹462

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.32 ₹31.07

181.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$5.62 ₹538

876.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$0.55 ₹52.2

118.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.19 ₹18.32

184.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$1.05 ₹101

125.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.07 ₹102

33.64%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

84.45%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$17.6K ₹1.7M

54.26%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$31.39 ₹3,004

106.24%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$3.56 ₹340

270.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$5.88 ₹563

230.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$10.06 ₹963

292.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$2.07 ₹198

82.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$2.58 ₹247

156.59%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$32.26 ₹3,087

2396.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$839 ₹80.3K

1701.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$22.63 ₹2,166

141.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$24.80 ₹2,373

2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$40.21 ₹3,848

128.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$27.49 ₹2,630

171.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$106 ₹10.1K

342.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$56.8 ₹5,437

396.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$205 ₹19.6K

334.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$127 ₹12.1K

311.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$769 ₹73.6K

158.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$301 ₹28.8K

386.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

$253 ₹24.2K

134.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.91

-37.49%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Bhavnagar: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chiang Mai versus $106 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 134% 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 $9.00 in Bhavnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $98.0 – 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 183%, 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 $1,380 per month in Chiang Mai and $488 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 $920 in Chiang Mai and $325 in Bhavnagar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 877% less in Bhavnagar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bhavnagar, where all-in costs run around $325, than in Chiang Mai at $920. In Bhavnagar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.