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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $316 in Bikaner, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $531 in Bikaner, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $745 in Bikaner, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 170% more than Bikaner, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bikaner are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bikaner 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$3.41 ₹326

-40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$8.06 ₹769

132.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$2.51 ₹239

213.15%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.26 ₹120

61.11%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.39 ₹37.05

105.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.15 ₹13.84

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.21 ₹116

76.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.72 ₹355

-1.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.50 ₹47.40

246.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.40 ₹38.42

292.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.71 ₹67.8

69.01%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.98 ₹93.3

101.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$5.45 ₹519

197.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.13 ₹298

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.85 ₹177

49.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.46 ₹43.55

154.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.59 ₹56.6

189.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.55 ₹52.7

189.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.25 ₹23.59

456.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.36 ₹34.81

222.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.40 ₹37.96

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.36 ₹34.03

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.45 ₹329

34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$4.12 ₹393

331.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.61 ₹154

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$3.76 ₹358

-11.17%

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

$3.31 ₹316

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$1.03 ₹98.4

-11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.51 ₹812

119.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.65 ₹61.8

116.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.22 ₹20.91

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.49 ₹142

444.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.20 ₹115

2.50%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$8,703 ₹830.0K

146.31%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

107.40%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$24.13 ₹2,302

195.61%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.12 ₹298

349.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$8.15 ₹777

120.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$17.03 ₹1,624

139.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$1.78 ₹170

286.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$3.46 ₹330

65.32%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$57.2 ₹5,455

438.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,329 ₹126.7K

1004.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$23.97 ₹2,286

132.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$24.80 ₹2,365

5.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$32.72 ₹3,121

159.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$30.45 ₹2,904

133.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$64.5 ₹6,148

556.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$31.86 ₹3,039

660.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$173 ₹16.5K

361.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$114 ₹10.9K

345.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$292 ₹27.8K

104.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-28.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bikaner: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $64.5 in Bikaner. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 104% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $8.00 in Bikaner. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $96.0 – making Bikaner the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bikaner: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 170% more than Bikaner, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $474 in Bikaner. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bikaner, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $57.2 in Bikaner. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 154% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $316 in Bikaner, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bikaner costs $316 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bikaner. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.