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 $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $364 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $566 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $767 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 134% 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 ฿64.0

$1.65 ₹156

18.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$9.04 ₹858

108.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.56 ₹338

122.47%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.41 ₹134

35.46%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.40 ₹37.69

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.18 ₹16.89

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.98 ₹188

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.65 ₹252

43.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.70 ₹66.5

134.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.44 ₹42.00

268.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.59 ₹56.0

100.00%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.01 ₹96.2

99.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$5.02 ₹476

216.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.10 ₹295

-2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.43 ₹136

82.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.63 ₹60.1

93.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.94 ₹88.8

80.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.56 ₹53.1

182.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.39 ₹36.71

238.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.41 ₹38.92

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.59 ₹56.1

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.28 ₹26.24

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.90 ₹370

16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$7.58 ₹720

140.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$2.27 ₹215

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.95 ₹280

9.49%

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

$5.29 ₹502

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.33 ₹31.57

169.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.46 ₹613

200.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.57 ₹54.0

136.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.18 ₹17.20

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.19 ₹113

593.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.15 ₹109

10.43%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

84.24%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$19.9K ₹1.9M

12.83%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$35.50 ₹3,371

97.61%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.37 ₹320

308.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$6.56 ₹622

168.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$11.15 ₹1,059

272.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$2.32 ₹220

184.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.86 ₹271

102.10%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$35.75 ₹3,394

756.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$948 ₹90.0K

1463.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$24.55 ₹2,331

121.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$24.79 ₹2,353

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$42.92 ₹4,075

96.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$33.18 ₹3,150

109.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$126 ₹11.9K

237.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$66.0 ₹6,265

260.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$253 ₹24.0K

226.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$153 ₹14.5K

236.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$764 ₹72.5K

168.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$300 ₹28.5K

408.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$257 ₹24.4K

147.64%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bhavnagar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 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 148% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $9.00 in Bhavnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 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 134%, 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $546 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $364 in Bhavnagar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 200% 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $364 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.