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: $848 in Chiang Mai versus $338 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Chiang Mai versus $544 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Chiang Mai versus $750 in Budaun.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 150% more expensive than Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿63.6

$2.14 ₹202

-8.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿598

$11.42 ₹1,080

61.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿256

$2.98 ₹282

164.09%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.4

$0.57 ₹53.5

242.11%

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

$0.85 ฿27.57

$0.27 ₹25.34

214.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.52

$0.10 ₹9.70

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿69.6

$1.48 ₹140

44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿120

$1.78 ₹168

106.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿53.9

$0.71 ₹67.3

133.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.7

$0.34 ₹31.71

358.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.63

$0.60 ₹56.4

98.33%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿64.7

$0.67 ₹63.2

197.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿528

$4.35 ₹411

273.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿103

$2.27 ₹215

39.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿86.2

$1.18 ₹111

124.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.67

$0.49 ₹46.61

148.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.7

$0.59 ₹55.9

179.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.3

$0.46 ₹43.15

236.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.17

$0.26 ₹24.63

411.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.43

$0.34 ₹31.85

255.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.04

$0.13 ₹12.28

423.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.38

$0.34 ₹32.59

67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿152

$2.52 ₹238

85.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿552

$2.59 ₹245

555.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.3

$1.43 ₹135

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿103

$2.27 ₹215

40.09%

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

$3.44 ₹325

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.46

$0.28 ₹26.16

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿609

$8.77 ₹830

113.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.80

$0.55 ₹52.3

156.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.52

$0.10 ₹9.10

1240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿265

$1.14 ₹108

614.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.53

$1.14 ₹108

12.28%

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

$21.8K ฿709.3K

$5,905 ₹558.7K

269.60%

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

$22.4K ฿728.0K

$16.9K ₹1.6M

32.42%

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

$70.5 ฿2,291

$50.6 ₹4,786

39.34%

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

$14.05 ฿457

$3.14 ₹297

347.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿574

$5.55 ₹525

218.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,342

$15.79 ₹1,494

161.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿220

$7.13 ₹675

-5.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿194

$2.93 ₹277

103.41%

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

$303 ฿9,846

$35.87 ₹3,393

744.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿486.2K

$1,528 ₹144.5K

879.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,778

$22.91 ₹2,167

138.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿854

$31.22 ₹2,953

-15.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,788

$39.96 ₹3,780

114.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,265

$18.39 ₹1,739

278.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿13.9K

$126 ₹11.9K

239.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,769

$75.7 ₹7,159

215.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.4K

$277 ₹26.2K

192.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.6K

$181 ₹17.1K

181.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿65.8K

$1,095 ₹103.5K

85.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿48.8K

$536 ₹50.7K

180.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.49

-41.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Budaun: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $126 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $11.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $76.0 per month, with Budaun cheaper across the board.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 150% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,272 in Chiang Mai and $508 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $126 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 114% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Chiang Mai versus $35.87 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Budaun gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 150% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.