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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $395 in Amritsar versus $932 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $600 in Amritsar versus $1,399 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $804 in Amritsar versus $1,866 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Amritsar costs roughly 58% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Amritsar 71% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 ₹199

$2.08 ฿69.5

-0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 ₹786

$19.61 ฿655

-58.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.33 ₹319

$5.67 ฿189

-41.27%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ₹187

$1.81 ฿60.3

7.73%

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

$0.40 ₹38.53

$0.77 ฿25.65

-48.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 ₹21.14

$0.35 ฿11.53

-37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹149

$2.21 ฿73.9

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ₹303

$3.79 ฿127

-16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹68.4

$2.05 ฿68.4

-65.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₹52.5

$1.51 ฿50.6

-63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹79.8

$1.40 ฿46.69

-40.71%

Eggs

$0.83 ₹79.9

$2.26 ฿75.4

-63.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 ₹392

$16.19 ฿540

-74.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ₹270

$2.90 ฿96.7

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ₹177

$2.68 ฿89.4

-30.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.9

$1.09 ฿36.37

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.8

$1.62 ฿54.0

-65.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.61

$1.46 ฿48.74

-67.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 ₹30.93

$1.28 ฿42.65

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 ₹33.03

$1.06 ฿35.31

-67.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ₹30.84

$0.72 ฿23.94

-55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.33

$0.53 ฿17.56

-43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.95 ₹475

$4.23 ฿141

17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 ₹1,094

$18.29 ฿611

-37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₹165

$1.63 ฿54.4

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₹256

$2.90 ฿96.8

-8.28%

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

$5.57 ₹535

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₹37.03

$0.88 ฿29.32

-55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.89 ₹2,004

$53.8 ฿1,795

-61.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₹102

$1.17 ฿39.14

-9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₹19.14

$0.58 ฿19.30

-65.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ₹158

$2.39 ฿79.6

-30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ₹102

$1.45 ฿48.41

-26.90%

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

$12.3K ₹1.2M

$21.0K ฿701.4K

-41.47%

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

$24.5K ₹2.4M

$26.4K ฿882.0K

-7.25%

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

$46.09 ₹4,421

$63.7 ฿2,125

-27.59%

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

$3.01 ₹289

$12.89 ฿430

-76.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.91 ₹663

$20.52 ฿685

-66.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.35 ₹2,816

$39.02 ฿1,302

-24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₹497

$3.92 ฿131

32.14%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹307

$6.58 ฿220

-51.37%

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

$37.68 ₹3,615

$784 ฿26.2K

-95.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$584 ₹56.0K

$14.7K ฿489.8K

-96.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.10 ₹2,600

$55.1 ฿1,840

-50.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.48 ₹2,348

$24.74 ฿826

-1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.1 ₹5,093

$94.1 ฿3,142

-43.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.24 ₹4,148

$74.0 ฿2,469

-41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$62.0 ₹5,952

$490 ฿16.4K

-87.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.75 ₹3,046

$288 ฿9,620

-88.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 ₹11.2K

$891 ฿29.8K

-86.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.1 ₹7,588

$521 ฿17.4K

-84.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$809 ₹77.6K

$1,974 ฿65.9K

-59.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$634 ₹60.8K

$1,444 ฿48.2K

-56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$682 ₹65.5K

$602 ฿20.1K

13.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Amritsar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $62.0 in Amritsar and $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amritsar pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8.00 in Amritsar vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $107 vs $241 per month, with Amritsar cheaper across the board.

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

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

Amritsar wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Amritsar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Amritsar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $62.0 in Amritsar versus $490 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Amritsar – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $395 per month in Amritsar versus $932 in Chiang Mai – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $395 in Amritsar versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Amritsar but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Amritsar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Amritsar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $395 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Amritsar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Amritsar and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Amritsar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.