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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $352 in Bhuj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $593 in Bhuj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $833 in Bhuj.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 165% more expensive than in Bhuj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bhuj 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.80 ₹173

15.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$6.58 ₹632

198.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.29 ₹316

72.34%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.63 ₹157

11.04%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.33 ₹31.37

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.16 ₹15.39

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.66 ₹159

33.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.04 ₹292

24.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.69 ₹65.9

197.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.40 ₹38.65

277.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.74 ₹71.1

89.19%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.08 ₹103

109.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$5.23 ₹502

209.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.77 ₹266

4.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$2.41 ₹231

11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.69 ₹66.3

57.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.90 ₹86.3

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.62 ₹59.2

135.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.33 ₹31.20

287.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.59 ₹56.9

79.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.44 ₹42.09

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.30 ₹28.72

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.19 ₹402

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$7.20 ₹690

154.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.09 ₹200

-22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.58 ₹248

12.40%

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

$4.93 ₹473

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.28 ₹26.57

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$7.15 ₹686

652.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.79 ₹75.5

48.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.29 ₹28.04

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.57 ₹151

52.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.10 ₹106

31.82%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

78.18%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

22.95%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$35.56 ₹3,412

78.99%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.27 ₹314

294.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.39 ₹613

221.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$14.09 ₹1,352

176.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.28 ₹603

-37.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.10 ₹298

112.26%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$45.87 ₹4,400

1608.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,451 ₹139.3K

910.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$20.22 ₹1,940

172.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$25.16 ₹2,414

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$40.70 ₹3,905

131.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$26.17 ₹2,511

182.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$75.7 ₹7,262

547.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$60.3 ₹5,785

378.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$195 ₹18.7K

358.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$234 ₹22.4K

122.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$960 ₹92.1K

105.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$503 ₹48.2K

187.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$594 ₹57.0K

1.27%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bhuj: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $75.7 in Bhuj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $7.00 in Bhuj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $108 per month, with Bhuj 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 Bhuj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Bhuj differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $352 including rent). Bhuj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Chiang Mai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $75.7 in Bhuj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $352 in Bhuj – a 165% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bhuj runs roughly 652% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $352 in Bhuj versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhuj but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bhuj 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 Bhuj 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 Bhuj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.