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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $338 in Bhiwadi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $582 in Bhiwadi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $826 in Bhiwadi, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Bhiwadi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bhiwadi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bhiwadi 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.45 ₹333

-43.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$11.46 ₹1,105

60.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$2.83 ₹273

164.31%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.15 ₹207

-6.05%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.24 ₹23.20

254.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.15 ₹14.85

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.39 ₹134

53.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.67 ₹354

-2.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.71 ₹68.8

132.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.50 ₹48.63

214.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.89 ₹85.8

33.71%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.02 ₹98.1

90.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$2.74 ₹264

490.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.43 ₹235

23.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.12 ₹204

27.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.83 ₹80.2

40.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.01 ₹97.2

67.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.59 ₹57.2

171.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.24 ₹23.17

475.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.26 ₹24.90

361.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.75 ₹72.1

-10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.36 ₹35.09

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.37 ₹421

6.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$8.26 ₹797

113.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.77 ₹171

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.69 ₹260

22.68%

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

$6.86 ₹661

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.22 ₹21.13

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$8.54 ₹824

126.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.18 ₹114

15.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.42 ₹40.43

219.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.35 ₹226

249.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.21 ₹117

0.83%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$19.2K ₹1.9M

11.13%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$27.5K ₹2.7M

-18.16%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$44.57 ₹4,298

58.56%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$4.15 ₹401

238.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$7.52 ₹725

132.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$8.53 ₹822

394.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$7.13 ₹688

-3.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.83 ₹273

109.19%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$88.7 ₹8,555

247.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,421 ₹137.0K

946.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$17.28 ₹1,667

222.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$26.64 ₹2,569

-1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$32.02 ₹3,087

159.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$23.52 ₹2,268

199.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$58.7 ₹5,657

636.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$34.87 ₹3,363

585.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$140 ₹13.5K

487.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$182 ₹17.6K

180.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$372 ₹35.9K

414.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$682 ₹65.8K

-15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

-33.77%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhiwadi: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $58.7 in Bhiwadi. 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 18% higher in Bhiwadi, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Bhiwadi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $102 – making Bhiwadi 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 Bhiwadi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 155%, 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 $507 in Bhiwadi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Chiang Mai and $11.00 in Bhiwadi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $861 in Chiang Mai and $338 in Bhiwadi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $338 in Bhiwadi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Bhiwadi – 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 Bhiwadi. 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.