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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $388 in Bhimavaram, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $618 in Bhimavaram, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $848 in Bhimavaram, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 122% more than Bhimavaram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhimavaram are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bhimavaram 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$2.40 ₹231

-18.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$10.38 ₹999

76.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.83 ₹368

95.30%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.52 ₹146

32.89%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.40 ₹38.74

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.18 ₹17.24

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.77 ₹171

20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.99 ₹288

20.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.67 ₹64.2

146.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.49 ₹46.97

220.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.66 ₹63.4

80.30%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.94 ₹90.4

106.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$4.95 ₹477

227.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.91 ₹280

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.00 ₹192

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.72 ₹69.0

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.99 ₹95.7

70.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.50 ₹47.71

220.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.36 ₹34.45

283.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.42 ₹40.29

185.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.46 ₹44.23

45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.31 ₹30.21

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.01 ₹386

15.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.17 ₹690

145.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.75 ₹169

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.90 ₹279

13.79%

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

$5.19 ₹500

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.28 ₹26.71

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$8.57 ₹825

125.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.78 ₹74.7

74.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.24 ₹22.98

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.47 ₹141

458.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.20 ₹116

1.67%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

54.68%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

4.62%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$38.50 ₹3,707

83.56%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.46 ₹333

305.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$7.25 ₹698

141.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$15.63 ₹1,505

169.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$7.10 ₹684

-3.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.88 ₹277

105.56%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$51.7 ₹4,972

497.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$1,533 ₹147.6K

870.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$24.21 ₹2,331

130.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$25.02 ₹2,409

4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$42.10 ₹4,053

97.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$31.82 ₹3,063

121.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$126 ₹12.1K

243.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$77.0 ₹7,408

210.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$272 ₹26.2K

202.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$181 ₹17.4K

183.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$989 ₹95.2K

93.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$517 ₹49.7K

183.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhimavaram: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Bhimavaram. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Bhimavaram. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $105 – making Bhimavaram 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 Bhimavaram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 122%, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $582 in Bhimavaram. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bhimavaram, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $51.7 in Bhimavaram. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $388 in Bhimavaram, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhimavaram – 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 Bhimavaram. 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.