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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $359 in Bijapur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $593 in Bijapur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $827 in Bijapur.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 140% more expensive than in Bijapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bijapur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.46 ₹334

-43.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$17.48 ₹1,686

4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.28 ₹413

74.77%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.99 ₹192

1.51%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.33 ₹32.26

157.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.19 ₹17.96

89.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.29 ₹124

65.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.44 ₹332

4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.50 ₹48.29

230.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.25 ₹24.10

528.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.67 ₹64.4

77.61%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.89 ₹85.9

117.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$2.35 ₹227

588.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.27 ₹219

31.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.72 ₹262

-0.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.76 ₹73.4

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.04 ₹101

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.47 ₹45.05

240.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.34 ₹32.72

305.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.36 ₹35.06

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.67 ₹64.5

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.30 ₹29.35

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.05 ₹294

52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$9.00 ₹868

95.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$0.56 ₹54.3

232.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.41 ₹136

134.04%

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

$2.15 ₹207

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.30 ₹28.98

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$8.50 ₹820

127.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.19 ₹115

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.33 ₹31.44

306.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.54 ₹149

433.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.25 ₹120

-2.40%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

22.77%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$23.9K ₹2.3M

-5.63%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$38.79 ₹3,741

82.19%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$4.67 ₹450

200.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$8.30 ₹801

110.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$15.67 ₹1,511

168.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$6.81 ₹657

1.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.04 ₹390

46.53%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$115 ₹11.1K

167.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$2,565 ₹247.4K

480.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$9.51 ₹917

486.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$11.66 ₹1,124

123.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$29.02 ₹2,799

186.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$17.09 ₹1,648

312.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$122 ₹11.8K

254.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$74.9 ₹7,221

219.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$270 ₹26.1K

204.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$178 ₹17.1K

187.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$858 ₹82.7K

123.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$445 ₹42.9K

229.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$165 ₹16.0K

250.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.19

-45.59%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bijapur: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Bijapur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 250% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $17.00 in Bijapur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $89.0 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 140% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 250% 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $122 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 128% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $115 in Bijapur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bijapur gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 140% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.