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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $412 in Patna, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $648 in Patna, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in Patna, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 109% more than Patna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Patna are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Patna 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$2.37 ₹228

-17.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$10.01 ₹965

83.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.50 ₹338

113.71%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.48 ₹142

36.49%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.37 ₹35.34

129.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.17 ₹16.20

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$2.28 ₹220

-6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$9.28 ₹895

-61.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.64 ₹61.5

157.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.43 ₹41.29

265.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.62 ₹59.6

91.94%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.15 ₹111

68.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$6.81 ₹657

137.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.59 ₹250

15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.36 ₹131

99.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.79 ₹75.7

48.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.11 ₹107

52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.59 ₹56.9

171.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.38 ₹37.04

263.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.51 ₹49.41

135.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.51 ₹49.58

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.31 ₹30.24

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.58 ₹249

79.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$6.42 ₹619

174.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$2.01 ₹194

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.37 ₹229

39.24%

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

$6.70 ₹646

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.34 ₹32.46

158.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$4.53 ₹437

326.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.14 ₹110

19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.27 ₹219

261.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.17 ₹113

4.27%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$15.3K ₹1.5M

39.43%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$32.6K ₹3.1M

-30.95%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$45.46 ₹4,384

55.46%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.23 ₹311

334.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$7.38 ₹712

136.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$28.05 ₹2,705

50.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$7.50 ₹724

-8.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.81 ₹367

55.38%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$49.76 ₹4,799

520.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,836 ₹177.1K

710.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$26.70 ₹2,575

108.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$27.52 ₹2,654

-5.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$42.34 ₹4,083

96.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$36.54 ₹3,524

92.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$122 ₹11.8K

253.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$74.8 ₹7,214

219.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$301 ₹29.0K

173.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$181 ₹17.4K

183.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,248 ₹120.3K

53.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$495 ₹47.8K

196.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$347 ₹33.5K

66.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.05

-44.75%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Patna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $122 in Patna. 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 67% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Patna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $106 – making Patna 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 Patna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 109% more than Patna, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $618 in Patna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $49.76 in Patna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $412 in Patna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Patna costs $412 versus $861 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 Patna. 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.