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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $337 in Bijapur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $540 in Bijapur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $744 in Bijapur.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 181% more expensive than in Bijapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bijapur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$2.57 ₹243

-19.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$10.44 ₹987

88.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$3.69 ₹349

53.12%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$2.28 ₹216

-20.61%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$0.31 ₹29.12

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.16 ₹15.03

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$1.11 ₹105

101.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.80 ₹359

-4.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.41 ₹38.90

378.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$0.25 ₹23.63

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$0.60 ₹56.7

123.33%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$0.84 ₹79.0

169.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$2.05 ₹194

693.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$2.06 ₹194

43.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$2.42 ₹229

6.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$0.71 ₹67.3

49.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.11 ₹105

45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$0.45 ₹42.44

237.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$0.33 ₹31.55

284.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$0.30 ₹28.80

256.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.47 ₹44.45

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.25 ₹23.60

104.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$2.75 ₹260

52.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$8.71 ₹823

105.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$0.51 ₹48.16

231.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$1.27 ₹120

123.62%

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

$1.87 ₹177

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$0.23 ₹21.68

304.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$7.46 ₹705

621.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$0.85 ₹80.5

44.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.55 ₹52.0

5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.18 ₹111

105.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.11 ₹105

27.03%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

42.80%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$23.2K ₹2.2M

17.78%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$39.98 ₹3,777

59.25%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$4.12 ₹390

211.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$7.94 ₹750

154.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$13.89 ₹1,312

178.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$6.59 ₹622

-39.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$3.19 ₹302

111.29%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$105 ₹9,898

642.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$2,958 ₹279.5K

393.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$8.53 ₹806

536.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$10.32 ₹975

146.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$26.29 ₹2,484

258.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$15.94 ₹1,506

360.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$109 ₹10.3K

347.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$65.8 ₹6,219

339.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$237 ₹22.4K

277.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$181 ₹17.1K

185.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$898 ₹84.9K

117.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$442 ₹41.8K

234.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$165 ₹15.6K

264.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.49

-34.39%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bijapur: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $109 in Bijapur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 264% 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 $10.00 in Bijapur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $81.0 per month, with Bijapur 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 Bijapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bijapur is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 264% 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 $109 in Bijapur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bijapur runs roughly 622% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $778 in Chiang Mai versus $105 in Bijapur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $337 in Bijapur versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bijapur but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bijapur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bijapur is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Bijapur 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 Bijapur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.