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 $845 per month in Chiang Mai vs $383 in Purnia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,323 per month in Chiang Mai vs $602 in Purnia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,802 per month in Chiang Mai vs $821 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 37% lower, Purnia 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.95 ฿62.8

$2.36 ₹222

-17.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.43 ฿594

$9.85 ₹925

87.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 ฿241

$3.58 ₹336

109.50%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿62.3

$1.48 ₹139

30.41%

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

$0.78 ฿25.08

$0.39 ₹36.84

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.42

$0.18 ₹16.43

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ฿69.2

$2.28 ₹214

-5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿120

$3.11 ₹292

19.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿55.2

$0.65 ₹61.1

163.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿50.3

$0.45 ₹42.50

246.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.06

$0.49 ₹46.07

140.82%

Eggs

$1.98 ฿63.9

$1.16 ₹109

70.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ฿517

$3.95 ₹371

306.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿102

$2.39 ₹225

32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿353

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿84.7

$1.34 ₹126

96.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.61

$0.78 ₹73.2

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.0

$1.11 ₹104

48.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿49.51

$0.54 ₹51.1

185.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿44.34

$0.35 ₹32.44

294.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿37.54

$0.22 ₹20.59

431.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.25

$0.48 ₹44.71

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.55

$0.34 ₹32.14

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ฿146

$2.51 ₹236

80.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿590

$6.22 ₹584

194.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿57.9

$2.10 ₹198

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿102

$2.36 ₹222

34.75%

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

$6.57 ₹617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿28.97

$0.28 ₹26.17

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.00 ฿612

$8.96 ₹841

112.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.50

$1.14 ₹107

23.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿42.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ฿261

$2.29 ₹215

253.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.08

$1.23 ₹116

4.07%

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

$21.3K ฿686.1K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

40.75%

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

$21.7K ฿699.3K

$33.1K ₹3.1M

-34.49%

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

$69.2 ฿2,230

$43.94 ₹4,124

57.49%

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

$13.97 ฿450

$3.20 ₹301

336.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.95 ฿578

$7.60 ₹713

136.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.31 ฿1,363

$16.19 ₹1,519

161.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 ฿214

$7.22 ₹678

-7.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿191

$3.89 ₹365

52.19%

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

$299 ฿9,640

$50.6 ₹4,744

491.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿478.4K

$1,858 ₹174.4K

699.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,810

$25.95 ₹2,436

116.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.94 ฿868

$28.40 ₹2,666

-5.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ฿2,735

$41.86 ₹3,929

102.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ฿2,314

$36.82 ₹3,456

95.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ฿14.0K

$122 ₹11.4K

256.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 ฿7,727

$76.5 ₹7,182

213.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 ฿25.7K

$275 ₹25.8K

189.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.1K

$178 ₹16.7K

180.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,995 ฿64.3K

$1,277 ₹119.8K

56.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,532 ฿49.4K

$516 ₹48.4K

196.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 ฿20.2K

$326 ₹30.6K

92.87%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Purnia: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $435 in Chiang Mai versus $122 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 93% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $10 in Purnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $95 – 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 $1,267 per month in Chiang Mai and $574 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 $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $50.6 in Purnia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 156% 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 $845 in Chiang Mai and $383 in Purnia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Purnia costs $383 versus $845 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.