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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $372 in Bokaro, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $573 in Bokaro, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $775 in Bokaro, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 133% more than Bokaro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Bokaro are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Bokaro 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$2.30 ₹219

-15.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$9.76 ₹930

90.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$3.59 ₹342

117.83%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.47 ₹140

32.65%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.39 ₹37.34

117.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.18 ₹17.45

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.69 ₹161

26.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$1.83 ₹174

103.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.62 ₹59.5

175.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.24 ₹22.92

579.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.54 ₹51.3

111.11%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$0.83 ₹78.8

132.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$7.10 ₹676

128.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.69 ₹161

84.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.39 ₹132

97.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.82 ₹77.8

47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.02 ₹97.4

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.60 ₹56.8

165.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.39 ₹36.96

258.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.47 ₹44.77

148.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.52 ₹49.89

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.34 ₹32.73

55.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.63 ₹251

78.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$6.11 ₹582

205.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.18 ₹112

52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.27 ₹216

42.29%

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

$5.87 ₹559

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.28 ₹26.26

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$8.89 ₹847

116.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.19 ₹113

18.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.18 ₹17.07

616.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.35 ₹224

233.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.17 ₹112

8.55%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$18.3K ₹1.7M

16.39%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$23.7K ₹2.3M

-6.14%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$45.45 ₹4,330

51.97%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.21 ₹306

338.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$7.22 ₹688

149.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$8.80 ₹838

366.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.08 ₹675

-1.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.85 ₹366

53.77%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$50.3 ₹4,794

494.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$1,879 ₹179.0K

695.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$20.53 ₹1,956

166.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$27.51 ₹2,621

-2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$42.99 ₹4,095

97.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$22.83 ₹2,175

209.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

241.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$74.9 ₹7,132

217.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$273 ₹26.0K

193.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$175 ₹16.7K

193.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$966 ₹92.1K

104.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$520 ₹49.5K

183.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$616 ₹58.7K

0.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-37.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bokaro: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Bokaro. 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 0% 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 $10.00 in Bokaro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $94.0 – making Bokaro 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 Bokaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai, $372 in Bokaro – roughly 133% apart. Chiang Mai costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $558 in Bokaro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $10.00 in Bokaro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Chiang Mai and $372 in Bokaro. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $372 in Bokaro, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $372 in Bokaro to $866 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bokaro. 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.