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Bengaluru vs Chiang Mai cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ณ Bengaluru
๐น๐ญ Chiang Mai
At a glance
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Massage (58%โ), Beer (38%โ), Cocktail & wine (30%โ)
- Where Bengaluru is clearly cheaper: Transit (67%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (64%โ), Bottled water (61%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Bengaluru 2 vs Chiang Mai 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bengaluru | Chiang Mai | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Chiang Mai โ19% |
| Street food1 item | โน 80$0.95 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Bengaluru โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 900$10.7 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Bengaluru โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 75$2.27 | Chiang Mai โ24% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 85$2.58 | Chiang Mai โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 650$7.74 | เธฟ 180$5.45 | Chiang Mai โ30% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Bengaluru โ61% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 30$0.36 | เธฟ 20$0.61 | Bengaluru โ41% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 180$2.14 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Bengaluru โ29% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 55$0.65 | เธฟ 60$1.82 | Bengaluru โ64% |
| Transitone ride | โน 25$0.3 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Bengaluru โ67% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 450$5.36 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Bengaluru โ29% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,500$41.7 | เธฟ 1,100$33.3 | Chiang Mai โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 22,000$262 | เธฟ 10,500$318 | Bengaluru โ18% |
| Laundry | โน 90$1.07 | เธฟ 35$1.06 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Bengaluru โ54% |
| Haircutcut | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Bengaluru โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | โน 1,500$17.9 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Chiang Mai โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | โน 1,500$17.9 | เธฟ 800$24.2 | Bengaluru โ26% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 300$3.57 | เธฟ 145$4.39 | Bengaluru โ19% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bengaluru or Chiang Mai?
Bengaluru and Chiang Mai cost about the same. Daily budget $73.7 vs $66.9; a month $1,122 vs $1,232.
Which is easier to travel, Bengaluru or Chiang Mai?
About the same: Bengaluru 2.4/5, Chiang Mai 2.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bengaluru and Chiang Mai?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bengaluru is about $1,122 and Chiang Mai about $1,232 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.