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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $363 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $580 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $798 in Bilaspur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 157% more than Bilaspur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bilaspur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Bilaspur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.04 ₹196

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$12.55 ₹1,204

56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.88 ₹468

16.19%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.40 ₹134

29.29%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.37 ₹35.57

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.14 ₹13.48

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.87 ₹179

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.08 ₹296

23.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.50 ₹47.68

310.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.47 ₹44.77

221.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.58 ₹55.6

141.38%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.92 ₹88.3

145.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.56 ₹437

255.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.88 ₹276

0.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.84 ₹176

45.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.63 ₹60.0

73.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.99 ₹94.9

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.43 ₹41.42

239.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.54 ₹51.6

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.43 ₹40.88

146.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.49 ₹47.39

46.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.31 ₹30.18

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.54 ₹532

-23.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$6.97 ₹669

162.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.44 ₹138

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.68 ₹257

8.21%

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

$4.82 ₹463

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.29 ₹27.50

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$7.88 ₹756

582.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.89 ₹85.7

31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.29 ₹28.11

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.31 ₹126

82.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$0.98 ₹94.2

47.96%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$10.8K ₹1.0M

93.89%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$18.2K ₹1.7M

45.28%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$31.36 ₹3,009

102.97%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$2.81 ₹270

358.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$5.69 ₹546

260.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$14.54 ₹1,395

168.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.27 ₹602

-37.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.98 ₹286

120.81%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$41.28 ₹3,960

1798.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,611 ₹154.5K

810.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$22.87 ₹2,195

140.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$22.39 ₹2,148

10.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$32.56 ₹3,124

189.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$28.65 ₹2,749

158.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$121 ₹11.6K

303.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$72.0 ₹6,907

300.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$270 ₹25.9K

230.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$170 ₹16.3K

207.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,042 ₹100.0K

89.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$444 ₹42.6K

225.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

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 Bilaspur: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Bilaspur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $13.00 in Bilaspur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $97.0 – making Bilaspur 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 Bilaspur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 157% more than Bilaspur, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $544 in Bilaspur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 147% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $13.00 in Bilaspur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bilaspur, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Bilaspur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bilaspur costs $363 versus $932 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 Bilaspur. 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.