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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $373 in Aizawl, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $605 in Aizawl, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $836 in Aizawl, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Aizawl, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$2.14 ₹205

-1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$10.52 ₹1,005

88.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$3.64 ₹347

59.07%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$1.58 ₹151

15.82%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.35 ₹33.64

122.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.13 ₹12.72

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$2.42 ₹231

-3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$3.16 ₹302

17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.71 ₹68.0

185.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.52 ₹49.66

207.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.67 ₹64.0

111.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.91 ₹86.5

139.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$4.21 ₹402

277.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$4.02 ₹384

-23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$3.87 ₹370

-32.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$0.66 ₹63.4

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$0.97 ₹93.1

68.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.46 ₹44.00

232.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.36 ₹34.08

244.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.60 ₹57.6

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.53 ₹50.3

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.17 ₹16.45

194.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$5.11 ₹488

-16.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$6.81 ₹650

163.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.66 ₹158

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$2.41 ₹230

20.33%

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

$4.93 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.24 ₹23.00

291.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$6.56 ₹627

742.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$0.76 ₹72.6

61.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.27 ₹26.02

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$1.57 ₹150

52.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.08 ₹103

33.33%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$12.2K ₹1.2M

73.09%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$17.1K ₹1.6M

59.77%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$33.84 ₹3,233

91.87%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$3.76 ₹359

255.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$6.65 ₹636

213.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$14.06 ₹1,344

187.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$6.37 ₹609

-37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$2.94 ₹281

128.23%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$49.03 ₹4,684

1505.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$1,563 ₹149.3K

867.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$21.96 ₹2,098

156.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$22.45 ₹2,144

11.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$38.49 ₹3,678

140.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$27.47 ₹2,625

173.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$103 ₹9,844

369.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$63.4 ₹6,058

353.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$263 ₹25.1K

245.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$163 ₹15.5K

226.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$1,080 ₹103.2K

83.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$443 ₹42.3K

227.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$267 ₹25.5K

127.11%

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 Aizawl: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $103 in Aizawl. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 127% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $114 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aizawl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 155%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $560 in Aizawl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aizawl, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $11.00 in Aizawl. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $950 in Chiang Mai and $373 in Aizawl. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aizawl, where all-in costs run around $373, than in Chiang Mai at $950. In Aizawl it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aizawl. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.