Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bijapur

For one person, living is cheaper in Bijapur: $335 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Bijapur
Learn more

Bijapur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Bijapur

🇮🇳 India

$335

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $335 in Bijapur.

Chiang Mai $938
Bijapur $335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $537 in Bijapur.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Bijapur $537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $738 in Bijapur.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Bijapur $738

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 180% more expensive than in Bijapur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Bijapur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.55 ₹243

-11.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$10.40 ₹988

84.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$1.24 ₹118

350.81%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.25 ₹214

-23.56%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.27 ₹25.67

137.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.16 ₹15.26

106.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$0.75 ₹70.8

214.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.45 ₹423

-12.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.45 ₹42.72

355.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.25 ₹23.61

460.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.59 ₹55.6

116.95%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.86 ₹82.1

161.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$2.07 ₹197

718.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.03 ₹193

34.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.38 ₹226

0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.67 ₹63.4

50.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.16 ₹110

38.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.43 ₹40.70

253.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.32 ₹30.83

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.30 ₹28.05

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.51 ₹48.77

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.27 ₹25.81

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.77 ₹263

56.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.15 ₹774

117.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.50 ₹47.26

226.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.24 ₹118

129.84%

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

$1.86 ₹176

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.27 ₹25.21

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$8.54 ₹811

531.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.98 ₹93.0

19.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.54 ₹51.6

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.18 ₹112

100.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.13 ₹108

28.32%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$14.9K ₹1.4M

37.43%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$22.9K ₹2.2M

15.85%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.04 ₹3,327

77.88%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$4.07 ₹387

201.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.96 ₹756

150.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$13.96 ₹1,326

171.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.67 ₹633

-43.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.23 ₹307

107.74%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$107 ₹10.1K

648.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$2,835 ₹269.2K

423.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$8.44 ₹802

530.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$10.52 ₹999

138.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$26.06 ₹2,475

251.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$15.51 ₹1,472

373.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$109 ₹10.4K

325.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$81.5 ₹7,740

273.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$281 ₹26.6K

226.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$193 ₹18.3K

186.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,089 ₹103.4K

75.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$469 ₹44.6K

206.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$168 ₹15.9K

255.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.46

-34.16%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bijapur: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Bijapur

$82 24.3% 73.2% $223

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Bijapur

$80 23.9% 66.4% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Bijapur

$27 8.1% 75.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Bijapur

$47 14.1% 50.2% $48

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Bijapur

$66 19.6% 17% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Bijapur

$13 4% 78.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Bijapur

$20 6.1% 60.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $109 in Bijapur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 255% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Bijapur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $80.0 per month, with Bijapur cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Bijapur

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

330,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bijapur 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bijapur

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 Bijapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bijapur is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 255% 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: $464 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 531% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Bijapur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $335 in Bijapur versus $938 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 180% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.