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: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $504 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $799 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $1,095 in Ahmedabad.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 89% more expensive than in Ahmedabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ahmedabad 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$4.06 ₹387

-48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$15.73 ₹1,503

26.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$4.30 ₹411

34.65%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$2.18 ₹208

-16.06%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.49 ₹46.61

59.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.17 ₹16.67

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$3.23 ₹309

-27.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$5.89 ₹562

-37.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.70 ₹67.0

190.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.65 ₹61.7

146.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.77 ₹73.1

84.42%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.11 ₹106

96.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$5.87 ₹561

171.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$4.22 ₹403

-27.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$2.28 ₹218

15.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$0.64 ₹61.5

71.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$1.16 ₹111

40.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.49 ₹46.61

212.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.36 ₹34.86

244.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.42 ₹40.48

169.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.58 ₹55.1

27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.32 ₹30.96

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$5.06 ₹483

-15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$8.33 ₹796

115.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.98 ₹189

-14.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$3.39 ₹324

-14.45%

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

$6.29 ₹601

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.27 ₹25.62

248.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$8.07 ₹771

585.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$1.03 ₹98.3

19.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.25 ₹23.78

112.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$2.12 ₹203

13.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.11 ₹106

29.73%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

67.93%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$24.2K ₹2.3M

12.92%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$50.1 ₹4,782

29.70%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$4.16 ₹398

220.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$11.44 ₹1,093

82.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$14.60 ₹1,395

176.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$8.00 ₹765

-50.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$4.09 ₹391

64.06%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$51.3 ₹4,905

1432.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$1,436 ₹137.2K

953.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$26.25 ₹2,508

114.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$30.58 ₹2,922

-18.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$49.75 ₹4,753

86.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$28.03 ₹2,678

168.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$199 ₹19.0K

142.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$122 ₹11.7K

134.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$468 ₹44.7K

94.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$274 ₹26.1K

93.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$866 ₹82.8K

128.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$551 ₹52.7K

163.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$542 ₹51.8K

11.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $199 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 12% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $16.00 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $124 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 89% in total monthly costs ($950 vs $504 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $484 in Chiang Mai versus $199 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Chiang Mai versus $51.3 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $504 in Ahmedabad versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ahmedabad but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ahmedabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 89% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.