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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $376 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $603 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $830 in Bilaspur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 129% more than Bilaspur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bilaspur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Bilaspur 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$2.32 ₹223

-15.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$12.84 ₹1,238

42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$5.42 ₹523

38.01%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.60 ₹154

26.25%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.28 ₹26.98

203.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.13 ₹12.35

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$2.36 ₹227

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.54 ₹342

1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.58 ₹56.2

184.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.40 ₹38.51

292.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.57 ₹54.7

108.77%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.82 ₹79.6

136.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$3.37 ₹325

380.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.92 ₹281

2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.99 ₹191

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.71 ₹68.7

64.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.93 ₹90.2

81.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.53 ₹51.4

201.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.48 ₹46.48

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.44 ₹42.35

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.46 ₹44.01

45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.34 ₹32.64

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.00 ₹386

16.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.22 ₹696

144.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$2.01 ₹194

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.27 ₹315

0.92%

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

$5.19 ₹500

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.30 ₹29.00

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$8.79 ₹847

120.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.43 ₹41.07

216.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.19 ₹18.04

605.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.48 ₹143

454.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.27 ₹123

-3.94%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$7,583 ₹731.3K

181.59%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$13.4K ₹1.3M

68.54%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$16.39 ₹1,581

331.18%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.56 ₹343

294.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$6.34 ₹611

175.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$14.71 ₹1,418

186.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$6.94 ₹669

-0.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.94 ₹283

101.36%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$51.9 ₹5,000

495.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,519 ₹146.5K

879.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$35.21 ₹3,395

58.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$29.46 ₹2,841

-11.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$40.99 ₹3,953

102.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$35.57 ₹3,431

98.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$124 ₹11.9K

249.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$76.9 ₹7,411

210.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$273 ₹26.3K

200.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$181 ₹17.5K

182.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$944 ₹91.1K

102.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$471 ₹45.4K

211.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$260 ₹25.1K

122.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.97

-37.26%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bilaspur: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $124 in Bilaspur. 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 123% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $13.00 in Bilaspur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $100 – 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 129% 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $564 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 143% 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 $18.00 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $376 in Bilaspur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bilaspur costs $376 versus $861 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.