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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $307 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $503 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $698 in Bhilai.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 182% more expensive than Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$2.60 ₹249

-25.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$8.24 ₹788

126.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.25 ₹311

140.62%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.81 ₹173

7.73%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.28 ₹26.73

203.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.21 ₹20.39

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.52 ₹146

40.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.10 ₹297

20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.67 ₹64.5

155.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.32 ₹30.74

409.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.68 ₹65.2

67.65%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$0.93 ₹88.6

107.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$4.60 ₹441

252.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.76 ₹264

13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.13 ₹204

29.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.56 ₹53.3

116.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.61 ₹58.2

165.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.43 ₹40.67

269.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.39 ₹37.37

258.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.47 ₹44.95

148.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.24 ₹22.97

175.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.27 ₹25.78

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.35 ₹225

99.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$4.62 ₹442

303.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$0.95 ₹90.9

89.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.30 ₹220

40.43%

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

$4.09 ₹392

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.24 ₹23.10

275.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$2.95 ₹282

551.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$1.14 ₹109

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.24 ₹22.99

437.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.73 ₹165

353.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.18 ₹113

7.63%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

82.06%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$19.8K ₹1.9M

12.08%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$23.59 ₹2,258

192.79%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.76 ₹360

274.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$6.08 ₹582

196.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$3.40 ₹326

1107.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$6.83 ₹654

1.90%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$1.70 ₹163

248.24%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$57.1 ₹5,465

423.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,503 ₹143.9K

894.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$17.31 ₹1,656

216.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$17.68 ₹1,692

51.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$17.11 ₹1,638

396.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$27.43 ₹2,625

157.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$124 ₹11.9K

245.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$68.9 ₹6,591

244.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$271 ₹25.9K

195.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$179 ₹17.1K

188.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$647 ₹61.9K

-4.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-37.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $124 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $8.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $87.0 per month, with Bhilai cheaper across the board.

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 Bhilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bhilai differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $307 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bhilai earns 5% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $124 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Chiang Mai versus $57.1 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bhilai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bhilai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.