Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Birtamod

For one person, living is cheaper in Birtamod: $339 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Birtamod
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Birtamod Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Birtamod

🇳🇵 Nepal

$339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $339 in Birtamod, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Birtamod $339

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $538 in Birtamod, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Birtamod $538

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $737 in Birtamod, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Birtamod $737

Chiang Mai costs about 176% more than Birtamod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Birtamod are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Birtamod 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.48 NPR 378

-9.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$21.05 NPR 3,204

-9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$7.76 NPR 1,181

-28.48%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.44 NPR 218

15.97%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.40 NPR 61.2

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.12 NPR 18.03

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.59 NPR 242

48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.98 NPR 454

22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.61 NPR 93.1

219.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.40 NPR 60.5

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.16 NPR 177

14.66%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.54 NPR 234

48.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.37 NPR 970

158.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.72 NPR 414

2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$2.57 NPR 391

262.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.03 NPR 310

15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.40 NPR 213

-30.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.98 NPR 149

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.41 NPR 62.4

265.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.40 NPR 60.1

220.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.57 NPR 86.7

92.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.26 NPR 39.63

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.92 NPR 444

41.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.61 NPR 245

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.01 NPR 458

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.12 NPR 18.83

625.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.99 NPR 302

-41.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.29 NPR 197

-58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.25 NPR 495

-25.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.06 NPR 162

36.79%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$29.6K NPR 4.5M

-28.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$43.2K NPR 6.6M

-37.67%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$66.3 NPR 10.1K

-6.20%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.64 NPR 706

162.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$5.39 NPR 820

273.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$8.06 NPR 1,227

362.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$9.11 NPR 1,387

-58.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.01 NPR 306

222.89%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$82.5 NPR 12.6K

792.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,845 NPR 433.0K

418.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$15.57 NPR 2,370

242.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$11.93 NPR 1,816

106.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$26.39 NPR 4,016

172.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$51.6 NPR 7,854

834.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$36.04 NPR 5,484

757.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$107 NPR 16.4K

836.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$53.6 NPR 8,151

1082.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$126 NPR 19.1K

369.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Birtamod: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Birtamod

$36 10.6% 88.3% $273

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Birtamod

$105 * 31.1% 55% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Birtamod

$24 * 7.2% 77.7% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Birtamod

$76 22.5% 19.2% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Birtamod

$76 22.5% 1.6% $1.2

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Birtamod

$8.9 * 2.6% 85.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Birtamod

$12 3.6% 76% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Birtamod. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Birtamod. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $105 in Birtamod – so Birtamod wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇵 Birtamod

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

02:35 2:35 AM

1 h 15 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.57 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.57 USD). 1 EUR = 169 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Birtamod 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Birtamod

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 Birtamod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai, $339 in Birtamod – Birtamod comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $509 in Birtamod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Birtamod, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $52 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $21 in Birtamod. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $339 in Birtamod, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Birtamod – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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