Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Biratnagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Biratnagar: $319 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Biratnagar
Learn more

Biratnagar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Biratnagar

🇳🇵 Nepal

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $319 in Biratnagar.

Chiang Mai $925
Biratnagar $319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $524 in Biratnagar.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Biratnagar $524

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $730 in Biratnagar.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Biratnagar $730

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 190% more expensive than in Biratnagar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Biratnagar 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.51 NPR 229

51.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$14.13 NPR 2,147

39.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$7.71 NPR 1,172

-27.24%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.19 NPR 181

39.50%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.34 NPR 52.1

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.49 NPR 226

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.15 NPR 327

72.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.57 NPR 86.1

242.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.39 NPR 58.5

261.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.64 NPR 97.0

104.69%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.20 NPR 182

81.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.49 NPR 683

270.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.67 NPR 405

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$3.14 NPR 477

190.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.02 NPR 306

18.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.74 NPR 113

39.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.29 NPR 196

26.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.49 NPR 74.3

206.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.39 NPR 59.7

230.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.43 NPR 65.1

158.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.27 NPR 41.06

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.28 NPR 41.89

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.55 NPR 388

69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.60 NPR 243

-1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.33 NPR 354

21.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.17 NPR 26.16

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$11.85 NPR 1,801

349.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.93 NPR 293

-37.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$2.33 NPR 353

0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.19 NPR 181

21.01%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$21.2K NPR 3.2M

-2.26%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

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

$12.11 ฿405

$4.23 NPR 643

186.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$9.08 NPR 1,379

119.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$27.91 NPR 4,240

32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$1.99 NPR 303

89.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.14 NPR 476

107.01%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$47.49 NPR 7,216

1569.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,727 NPR 262.4K

757.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$20.02 NPR 3,042

168.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$32.54 NPR 4,945

-24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$24.35 NPR 3,699

273.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$29.47 NPR 4,477

141.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$46.59 NPR 7,079

877.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$52.5 NPR 7,981

466.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$129 NPR 19.7K

602.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$99.1 NPR 15.1K

458.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$397 NPR 60.4K

386.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$260 NPR 39.4K

456.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$160 NPR 24.3K

269.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Biratnagar

$53 16.5% 82.4% $245

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Biratnagar

$94 * 29.6% 59.9% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Biratnagar

$48 15% 55.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Biratnagar

$13 * 4.2% 85.9% $81

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Biratnagar

$63 * 19.6% 20.4% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Biratnagar

$14 * 4.5% 76.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Biratnagar

$34 10.7% 31.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $46.59 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 269% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $14.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $94.0 per month, with Biratnagar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Biratnagar

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

17:25 5:25 PM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

166,674

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, 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).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Biratnagar 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Biratnagar

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 Biratnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 190% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 269% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $46.59 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $319 in Biratnagar versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 190% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.