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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $365 in Purnia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $579 in Purnia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $793 in Purnia, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 161% more than Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Purnia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Purnia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$2.13 ₹203

-1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$9.32 ₹891

112.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$3.08 ₹294

87.99%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$1.60 ₹153

14.37%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.39 ₹36.88

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.14 ₹13.72

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$1.97 ₹188

18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$6.11 ₹583

-39.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.64 ₹61.5

217.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.40 ₹38.58

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.51 ₹49.06

178.43%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.93 ₹89.3

134.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$3.54 ₹338

349.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$2.14 ₹204

43.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$1.43 ₹136

83.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$0.52 ₹49.42

111.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.05 ₹100

55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.41 ₹39.28

273.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.24 ₹22.89

416.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.22 ₹21.04

413.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.43 ₹41.55

72.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.27 ₹25.63

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$3.16 ₹302

35.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$6.25 ₹597

187.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.56 ₹149

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.04 ₹195

42.16%

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

$6.75 ₹645

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.25 ₹23.83

276.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$7.35 ₹702

652.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.32 ₹126

-6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.19 ₹18.37

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$2.08 ₹198

15.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.12 ₹107

28.57%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

53.63%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$27.0K ₹2.6M

1.11%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$45.38 ₹4,336

43.08%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$2.84 ₹272

370.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$6.32 ₹604

229.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$14.11 ₹1,348

186.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$6.66 ₹636

-40.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$3.33 ₹318

101.50%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$55.9 ₹5,340

1307.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$1,680 ₹160.5K

800.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$24.03 ₹2,295

134.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$28.78 ₹2,749

-13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$39.12 ₹3,738

136.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$33.13 ₹3,165

126.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$125 ₹11.9K

287.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$74.2 ₹7,090

287.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$265 ₹25.3K

243.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$173 ₹16.5K

207.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$960 ₹91.7K

106.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$522 ₹49.9K

178.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$315 ₹30.1K

92.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Purnia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Purnia. 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 92% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $9.00 in Purnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $85.0 – making Purnia 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 Purnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 161% more than Purnia, 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 $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $547 in Purnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $787 per month in Chiang Mai and $55.9 in Purnia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 187% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Purnia, where all-in costs run around $365, than in Chiang Mai at $950. In Purnia 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. Purnia costs $365 versus $950 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 Purnia. 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.