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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $393 in Purnia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $611 in Purnia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $829 in Purnia, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 121% more than Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Purnia are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Purnia 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.38 ₹226

-16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$9.93 ₹944

89.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$3.48 ₹331

122.70%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.41 ₹134

36.17%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.39 ₹37.42

102.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.16 ₹15.01

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.21 ₹211

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.13 ₹298

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.65 ₹61.9

153.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.46 ₹43.84

254.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.45 ₹42.62

164.44%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$1.14 ₹109

75.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$3.90 ₹371

309.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$2.28 ₹217

32.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.35 ₹128

104.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.77 ₹72.8

53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$1.10 ₹105

49.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.54 ₹51.7

181.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.32 ₹30.30

331.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.24 ₹22.95

395.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.48 ₹45.33

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.35 ₹32.83

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$2.58 ₹246

77.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$6.24 ₹593

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$2.01 ₹191

-8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.38 ₹226

34.45%

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

$6.71 ₹638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.28 ₹26.56

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$8.57 ₹815

118.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$1.15 ₹109

18.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.34 ₹223

235.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.17 ₹111

5.13%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

40.53%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$33.0K ₹3.1M

-31.62%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$44.60 ₹4,241

58.16%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$3.23 ₹308

323.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$7.50 ₹713

132.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$15.87 ₹1,509

160.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.10 ₹675

-1.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$3.73 ₹355

54.69%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$49.51 ₹4,708

520.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,891 ₹179.8K

672.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$26.79 ₹2,548

108.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$27.96 ₹2,659

-6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$43.37 ₹4,125

97.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$37.34 ₹3,551

93.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$126 ₹11.9K

242.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$75.7 ₹7,199

215.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$277 ₹26.3K

195.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$184 ₹17.5K

178.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$1,243 ₹118.2K

59.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$505 ₹48.0K

193.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$314 ₹29.9K

96.88%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Purnia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $126 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 97% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Purnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $94.0 – 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 121% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $590 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 $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $49.51 in Purnia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 157% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $869 in Chiang Mai and $393 in Purnia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Purnia costs $393 versus $869 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.