Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dharwad and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharwad: $372 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Dharwad
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Dharwad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Dharwad

🇮🇳 India

$372

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dharwad and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dharwad and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $372 per month in Dharwad vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dharwad $372
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $577 per month in Dharwad vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dharwad $577
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $781 per month in Dharwad vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Dharwad $781
Chiang Mai $1,979

Dharwad is about 60% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dharwad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Dharwad 73% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 ₹325

$2.24 ฿75.6

53.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.45 ₹707

$19.00 ฿641

-60.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.71 ₹352

$5.55 ฿187

-33.15%

Cappuccino

$1.59 ₹151

$1.67 ฿56.5

-4.79%

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

$0.41 ₹38.66

$0.64 ฿21.54

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.09

$0.31 ฿10.31

-54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

$2.36 ฿79.5

-33.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹286

$3.66 ฿124

-17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹63.8

$1.95 ฿65.7

-65.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹43.44

$1.44 ฿48.46

-68.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.3

$1.33 ฿45.03

-51.13%

Eggs

$0.85 ₹80.8

$2.28 ฿77.1

-62.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.02 ₹382

$16.45 ฿555

-75.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹273

$2.78 ฿93.9

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 ₹182

$2.35 ฿79.4

-18.30%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ₹63.3

$0.97 ฿32.79

-30.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 ₹90.2

$1.60 ฿53.9

-40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.76

$1.50 ฿50.6

-70.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 ₹33.84

$1.28 ฿43.11

-71.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.52

$1.10 ฿37.18

-66.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 ₹38.37

$0.71 ฿23.82

-43.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.53

$0.49 ฿16.36

-40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 ₹523

$4.14 ฿140

33.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.26 ₹594

$17.52 ฿591

-64.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₹151

$1.61 ฿54.5

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₹284

$2.78 ฿93.9

7.55%

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

$4.27 ₹405

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₹21.86

$0.87 ฿29.30

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.08 ₹672

$54.1 ฿1,825

-86.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 ₹81.6

$1.16 ฿39.04

-25.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₹24.21

$0.53 ฿17.80

-52.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₹154

$2.42 ฿81.7

-33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹107

$1.45 ฿48.88

-22.07%

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

$12.1K ₹1.1M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-42.59%

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

$21.7K ₹2.1M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-19.64%

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

$34.58 ₹3,283

$62.2 ฿2,098

-44.38%

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

$3.12 ₹297

$12.17 ฿411

-74.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.82 ₹552

$20.12 ฿679

-71.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.37 ₹1,364

$37.31 ฿1,259

-61.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.67 ₹538

$3.77 ฿127

50.40%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 ₹283

$6.49 ฿219

-54.08%

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

$46.87 ₹4,450

$736 ฿24.8K

-93.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,442 ₹136.9K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-90.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.92 ₹1,892

$53.4 ฿1,801

-62.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.08 ₹2,476

$24.64 ฿831

5.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.85 ₹3,594

$91.5 ฿3,087

-58.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.95 ₹2,654

$71.9 ฿2,427

-61.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$121 ₹11.5K

$482 ฿16.3K

-74.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.8 ₹7,387

$309 ฿10.4K

-74.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₹25.2K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ₹15.4K

$633 ฿21.4K

-74.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 ₹91.8K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-59.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$538 ₹51.1K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-66.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.86

5.57

59.07%

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

Last update for Dharwad: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dharwad

$97 26%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 142% $138

Accommodation & Living

Dharwad

$78 20.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 297% $231

Eating Out

Dharwad

$74 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 5.4% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Dharwad

$50 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 116% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dharwad

$44 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 117% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Dharwad

$20 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 147% $30

Getting Around

Dharwad

$10 2.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 506% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $121 in Dharwad versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 $7 in Dharwad versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $234 – making Dharwad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Dharwad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Dharwad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dharwad Chiang Mai 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dharwad
Chiang Mai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Dharwad vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 151% more than Dharwad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $559 per month in Dharwad and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $47 per month in Dharwad and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 142% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $372 in Dharwad and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Dharwad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Dharwad is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.