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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $920 in Chiang Mai versus $350 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Chiang Mai versus $578 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,895 in Chiang Mai versus $806 in Budaun.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 163% more expensive than in Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 33% lower, Budaun 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$2.11 ₹202

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$20.79 ₹1,989

-5.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$2.66 ₹255

119.92%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$0.50 ₹48.31

252.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.37 ₹35.33

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.18 ₹17.11

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$1.84 ₹176

34.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$1.53 ₹147

153.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.65 ₹61.9

192.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.30 ₹28.63

456.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$0.51 ₹48.77

164.71%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$0.61 ₹58.6

250.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$4.18 ₹400

280.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$2.11 ₹202

34.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.05 ₹101

126.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.44 ₹41.82

143.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$0.54 ₹51.8

181.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.40 ₹38.54

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.30 ₹28.41

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.30 ₹28.45

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.10 ₹9.47

590.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.29 ₹27.57

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.33 ₹223

83.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$2.62 ₹251

540.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.28 ₹123

29.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.03 ₹194

38.42%

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

$3.20 ₹306

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.25 ₹24.30

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$7.51 ₹719

631.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$0.93 ₹89.0

29.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.11 ₹10.30

390.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$1.61 ₹154

47.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.03 ₹98.5

38.83%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$5,171 ₹494.8K

307.61%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$20.0K ₹1.9M

35.75%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$41.37 ₹3,959

56.49%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$4.22 ₹404

212.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$6.93 ₹663

180.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$12.60 ₹1,206

213.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$7.15 ₹684

-47.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$5.13 ₹491

29.04%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$90.3 ₹8,636

792.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$2,016 ₹192.9K

649.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$24.77 ₹2,371

121.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$30.29 ₹2,899

-16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$53.5 ₹5,117

71.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$45.70 ₹4,373

63.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$120 ₹11.5K

289.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$72.6 ₹6,948

288.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$263 ₹25.2K

238.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$171 ₹16.3K

205.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$886 ₹84.8K

124.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$566 ₹54.1K

158.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.56

-34.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 17, 2026

Last update for Budaun: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $467 in Chiang Mai and $120 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $21.00 in Budaun. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $70.0, with Budaun cheaper for home cooking.

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 Budaun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,380 in Chiang Mai and $525 in Budaun to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $467 in Chiang Mai versus $120 in Budaun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budaun runs roughly 631% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $805 in Chiang Mai versus $90.3 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $350 in Budaun versus $920 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Budaun but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Budaun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budaun 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 Budaun 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 Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.