Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bhuj

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhuj: $353 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Bhuj
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Bhuj Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bhuj

🇮🇳 India

$353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $353 in Bhuj.

Chiang Mai $936
Bhuj $353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $601 in Bhuj.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bhuj $601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $849 in Bhuj.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bhuj $849

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 165% more expensive than in Bhuj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bhuj 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.89 ₹180

18.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$6.88 ₹653

176.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.22 ₹305

72.36%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.58 ₹150

5.70%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.33 ₹31.47

93.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.19 ₹18.35

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.86 ₹176

26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.97 ₹282

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.69 ₹65.1

182.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.40 ₹38.08

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.81 ₹76.5

64.20%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.06 ₹101

115.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.20 ₹493

216.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.76 ₹262

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.46 ₹234

-4.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.65 ₹62.2

49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.85 ₹80.9

88.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.62 ₹59.2

141.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.36 ₹33.87

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.60 ₹57.0

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.43 ₹40.70

65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.31 ₹29.21

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.21 ₹399

-1.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.29 ₹692

140.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.00 ₹190

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.70 ₹256

2.96%

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

$5.08 ₹482

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.20 ₹18.91

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$6.70 ₹636

707.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.89 ₹84.6

30.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.25 ₹23.91

112.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.76 ₹167

37.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.14 ₹108

27.19%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$9,679 ₹918.9K

117.57%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

33.21%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$34.90 ₹3,314

78.14%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.25 ₹309

274.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$6.47 ₹615

210.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$14.13 ₹1,341

164.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.62 ₹629

-43.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.58 ₹245

151.55%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$51.9 ₹4,930

1317.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,448 ₹137.5K

919.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$22.17 ₹2,105

140.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$25.96 ₹2,465

-5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$40.59 ₹3,853

125.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$24.58 ₹2,333

192.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$76.5 ₹7,263

530.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$59.3 ₹5,628

421.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$193 ₹18.3K

420.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$237 ₹22.5K

167.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$937 ₹88.9K

152.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$541 ₹51.3K

193.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$598 ₹56.8K

-1.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bhuj: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bhuj

$59 16.8% 80.8% $250

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bhuj

$108 30.6% 53.8% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bhuj

$51 14.4% 53.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bhuj

$45 12.6% 52.8% $50

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bhuj

$61 17.3% 21.2% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bhuj

$9.6 2.7% 84.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bhuj

$19 5.5% 61.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $77 in Bhuj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $7 in Bhuj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $108 per month, with Bhuj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Bhuj

🕒 Local time

20:12 8:12 PM

18:42 6:42 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

143,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Bhuj 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bhuj

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 Bhuj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $353 in Bhuj, so Bhuj is about 62% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $530 in Bhuj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $77 in Bhuj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $353 in Bhuj – Bhuj is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bhuj runs roughly 88% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bhuj 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 Bhuj are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bhuj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.