Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dhanbad

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhanbad: $306 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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 Dhanbad
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Dhanbad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Dhanbad

🇮🇳 India

$306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $306 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Dhanbad $306

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $485 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Dhanbad $485

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $664 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Dhanbad $664

Chiang Mai costs about 206% more than Dhanbad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dhanbad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dhanbad 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.55 ₹148

44.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$9.21 ₹877

106.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.18 ₹302

74.53%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.36 ₹129

22.79%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.38 ₹36.40

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.13 ₹12.76

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.97 ₹188

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.18 ₹398

-12.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.63 ₹59.7

209.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.41 ₹38.64

251.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.56 ₹53.3

137.50%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.94 ₹89.5

142.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$3.71 ₹353

343.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.21 ₹211

25.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.41 ₹134

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.67 ₹63.9

44.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.00 ₹95.3

60.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.45 ₹42.47

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.21 ₹19.91

509.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.39 ₹37.57

182.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.46 ₹44.03

54.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.27 ₹25.35

81.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.95 ₹471

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$3.20 ₹305

447.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.57 ₹149

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.06 ₹196

34.95%

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

$6.58 ₹626

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.22 ₹20.96

295.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.28 ₹122

-9.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.12 ₹11.85

341.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.07 ₹102

126.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.11 ₹106

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$8,380 ₹798.0K

151.29%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$27.9K ₹2.7M

-3.42%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$44.77 ₹4,263

38.87%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.92 ₹278

316.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$6.50 ₹619

209.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$11.30 ₹1,076

230.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.14 ₹584

-38.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.69 ₹256

141.26%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$29.56 ₹2,815

2390.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,180 ₹112.3K

1151.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$24.19 ₹2,303

120.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$29.09 ₹2,770

-15.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$38.60 ₹3,676

136.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$24.49 ₹2,332

193.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$59.3 ₹5,644

713.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$40.62 ₹3,868

660.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$170 ₹16.2K

491.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$109 ₹10.4K

480.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,588 ₹151.2K

48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$377 ₹35.9K

56.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dhanbad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Dhanbad

$41 13.3% 86.9% $268

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Dhanbad

$81 26.4% 65.6% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Dhanbad

$52 17.1% 51.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Dhanbad

$54 17.7% 42.6% $40

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Dhanbad

$59 19.1% 24.6% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dhanbad

$2.8 * 0.9% 95.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dhanbad

$17 5.5% 66.8% $34

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 $59 in Dhanbad. 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 56% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $9 in Dhanbad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $81 – making Dhanbad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Dhanbad

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

23:19 11:19 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,162,472

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Dhanbad 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dhanbad

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 Dhanbad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 206% more than Dhanbad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $459 in Dhanbad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhanbad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $59 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $9 in Dhanbad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 191% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

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 Dhanbad. 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.