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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $359 in Dharwad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $564 in Dharwad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $768 in Dharwad, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 159% more than Dharwad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Dharwad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Dharwad 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.04 ₹196

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$7.24 ₹694

170.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.83 ₹368

48.04%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.64 ₹158

10.37%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.38 ₹36.37

102.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.10 ₹9.91

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.50 ₹144

47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.02 ₹290

25.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.62 ₹59.3

230.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.50 ₹47.69

202.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.61 ₹58.8

129.51%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.92 ₹87.8

145.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.17 ₹400

288.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.79 ₹268

3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.87 ₹179

43.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.64 ₹61.6

70.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.92 ₹88.6

76.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.44 ₹42.19

231.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.36 ₹34.15

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.41 ₹39.04

158.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.50 ₹47.57

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.31 ₹30.04

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.99 ₹479

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$7.02 ₹674

160.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.44 ₹138

13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.59 ₹248

11.97%

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

$5.51 ₹529

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.25 ₹23.98

252.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$7.38 ₹708

628.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.81 ₹78.1

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.27 ₹25.98

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.39 ₹133

71.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.13 ₹109

28.32%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

84.74%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$21.6K ₹2.1M

22.21%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$34.75 ₹3,334

83.17%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.19 ₹306

304.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$5.86 ₹563

250.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$14.10 ₹1,353

176.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$5.81 ₹557

-32.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.81 ₹270

134.16%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$48.13 ₹4,618

1528.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,389 ₹133.3K

956.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$21.89 ₹2,100

151.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$25.60 ₹2,456

-3.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$39.32 ₹3,773

139.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$26.41 ₹2,534

180.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$121 ₹11.6K

305.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$72.6 ₹6,967

296.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$261 ₹25.0K

241.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$177 ₹17.0K

193.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$860 ₹82.5K

129.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$529 ₹50.8K

172.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dharwad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Dharwad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Dharwad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $97.0 – making Dharwad 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 Dharwad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 159% more than Dharwad, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $539 in Dharwad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $784 per month in Chiang Mai and $48.13 in Dharwad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 149% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dharwad, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Dharwad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dharwad costs $359 versus $932 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dharwad. 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.