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: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $324 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $554 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $785 in Bhilai.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 192% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bhilai 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.6

$2.65 ₹250

-21.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$8.71 ₹823

125.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$3.17 ₹299

78.23%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.4

$1.88 ₹178

-3.72%

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

$0.71 ฿23.45

$0.31 ₹29.53

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.19 ₹17.65

68.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$1.60 ₹151

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.91 ₹275

24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.56 ₹53.0

250.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.39

$0.38 ₹36.16

294.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.93

$0.61 ₹57.3

119.67%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.5

$1.00 ₹94.9

126.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿535

$4.16 ₹393

290.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$2.76 ₹260

6.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.6

$2.39 ₹226

7.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.73

$0.54 ₹50.7

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$0.89 ₹84.2

80.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.97

$0.44 ₹41.93

245.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.77

$0.35 ₹33.50

262.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.06

$0.45 ₹42.17

137.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.68

$0.27 ₹25.75

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.29 ₹27.25

75.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$4.98 ₹470

-15.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$4.84 ₹457

269.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.75 ₹165

-3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.3

$2.70 ₹255

5.19%

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

$3.88 ₹367

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.43

$0.35 ₹33.52

165.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,771

$6.76 ₹639

696.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.59

$1.04 ₹97.8

18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.22 ₹20.83

163.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.87 ₹177

29.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.43

$1.07 ₹101

31.78%

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

$21.4K ฿705.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

82.23%

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

$27.3K ฿898.7K

$18.1K ₹1.7M

50.66%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$31.55 ₹2,980

101.81%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$3.17 ₹300

305.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$5.02 ₹474

302.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$6.67 ₹630

480.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$3.08 ₹291

28.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿222

$3.45 ₹326

95.36%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$82.8 ₹7,826

839.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.4K

$1,053 ₹99.5K

1287.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$23.28 ₹2,199

133.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿837

$29.05 ₹2,745

-12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,102

$23.89 ₹2,257

294.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,415

$23.59 ₹2,228

211.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$73.1 ₹6,903

570.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,512

$57.5 ₹5,430

403.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$260 ₹24.5K

244.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$209 ₹19.7K

147.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$653 ₹61.7K

-7.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $9.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $93.0 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 192% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $324 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Bhilai. 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $82.8 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $324 in Bhilai versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 192% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.