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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $536 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $815 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $1,094 in Ahmedabad.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 61% more expensive than in Ahmedabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Ahmedabad 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.40 ₹328

-42.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$16.14 ₹1,557

13.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.63 ₹446

61.56%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.21 ₹213

-8.60%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.48 ₹46.15

77.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.19 ₹18.26

89.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$3.56 ₹343

-39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$5.92 ₹571

-39.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.77 ₹73.8

114.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.57 ₹55.0

175.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.86 ₹83.3

38.37%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.08 ₹104

79.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$6.50 ₹627

149.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.75 ₹361

-20.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.03 ₹196

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.80 ₹77.1

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.34 ₹129

26.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.61 ₹58.4

162.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.43 ₹41.13

220.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.50 ₹48.06

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.68 ₹65.9

-1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.32 ₹30.52

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.31 ₹416

7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$7.82 ₹754

125.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$2.63 ₹254

-29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.83 ₹465

-31.68%

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

$6.26 ₹604

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.28 ₹26.68

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$8.30 ₹801

133.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$1.14 ₹109

19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.28 ₹26.80

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.29 ₹221

258.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.19 ₹114

2.52%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

55.97%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$25.1K ₹2.4M

-10.33%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$57.0 ₹5,495

24.03%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$4.47 ₹431

214.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$7.72 ₹744

126.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$17.03 ₹1,642

147.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$9.19 ₹886

-25.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.58 ₹346

65.36%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$53.2 ₹5,127

480.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,684 ₹162.4K

783.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$24.57 ₹2,369

126.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$25.39 ₹2,448

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$53.8 ₹5,188

54.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$38.55 ₹3,717

82.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$157 ₹15.2K

174.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$128 ₹12.4K

86.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$377 ₹36.4K

117.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$244 ₹23.5K

110.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$898 ₹86.6K

113.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$575 ₹55.4K

155.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$515 ₹49.6K

12.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.98

-44.32%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $157 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $16.00 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $130 per month, with Ahmedabad 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

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

Chiang Mai and Ahmedabad differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($861 vs $536 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $157 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Chiang Mai versus $53.2 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ahmedabad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Ahmedabad 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 Ahmedabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.