Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bhavnagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhavnagar: $326 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Bhavnagar
Learn more

Bhavnagar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bhavnagar

🇮🇳 India

$326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $326 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Bhavnagar $326

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $508 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bhavnagar $508

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $690 in Bhavnagar, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bhavnagar $690

Chiang Mai costs about 188% more than Bhavnagar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhavnagar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bhavnagar 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.56 ₹148

44.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$8.24 ₹782

132.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.11 ₹295

79.74%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.34 ₹128

28.36%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.39 ₹36.64

64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.14 ₹12.84

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.20 ₹209

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.44 ₹231

59.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.58 ₹55.2

253.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.41 ₹38.67

241.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.53 ₹50.4

141.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.90 ₹85.7

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$4.43 ₹421

282.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.72 ₹258

0.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.68 ₹159

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.62 ₹58.6

62.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.80 ₹76.3

101.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.49 ₹46.64

210.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.37 ₹35.60

245.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.40 ₹38.14

177.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.46 ₹43.58

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.27 ₹25.72

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.93 ₹468

-12.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.63 ₹724

132.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.82 ₹173

-10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.65 ₹251

7.55%

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

$4.98 ₹473

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.30 ₹28.45

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$5.74 ₹545

839.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.50 ₹47.43

134.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.21 ₹19.81

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.03 ₹98.2

130.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.06 ₹100

36.79%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

75.43%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$17.9K ₹1.7M

47.73%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$31.37 ₹2,979

98.69%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.50 ₹332

250.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.07 ₹577

229.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$9.99 ₹948

279.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$2.12 ₹201

77.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.54 ₹241

164.17%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$31.79 ₹3,019

2407.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$837 ₹79.4K

1672.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.62 ₹2,148

135.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$24.14 ₹2,293

3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$40.66 ₹3,861

125.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$27.37 ₹2,599

168.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$105 ₹9,962

342.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$57.1 ₹5,419

433.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$207 ₹19.7K

341.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$128 ₹12.1K

333.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$764 ₹72.6K

150.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$303 ₹28.7K

375.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$243 ₹23.1K

144.50%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bhavnagar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bhavnagar

$57 17.5% 81.3% $248

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bhavnagar

$97 29.7% 59.3% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bhavnagar

$52 15.9% 52.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bhavnagar

$41 12.6% 56.7% $54

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bhavnagar

$56 17.1% 29.3% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bhavnagar

$8.5 2.6% 86.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bhavnagar

$15 4.6% 70.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $105 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 145% 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 $8.00 in Bhavnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $97.0 – making Bhavnagar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Bhavnagar

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

00:24 12:24 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

593,768

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bhavnagar 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bhavnagar

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 Bhavnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 188%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $489 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 $938 in Chiang Mai and $326 in Bhavnagar. That's a gap of about 188%.

Public transport costs about 839% 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 $326, than in Chiang Mai at $938. 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.