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 $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $367 in Aizawl, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $604 in Aizawl, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $840 in Aizawl, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 136% more than Aizawl, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aizawl are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Aizawl 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$2.28 ₹218

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$10.30 ₹985

80.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.98 ₹381

96.48%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.37 ₹131

42.34%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.32 ₹30.40

165.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.22 ₹20.80

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.37 ₹131

55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.83 ₹271

31.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.77 ₹73.8

122.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.59 ₹56.7

176.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.56 ₹53.8

103.57%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$0.94 ₹89.7

105.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$2.27 ₹217

614.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.87 ₹370

-19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.03 ₹194

35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$1.26 ₹121

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.37 ₹131

18.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$1.03 ₹98.1

54.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.56 ₹54.1

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.60 ₹57.8

95.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.49 ₹47.09

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.26 ₹24.95

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.64 ₹349

28.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$6.65 ₹636

180.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.26 ₹121

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.08 ₹294

4.87%

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

$4.96 ₹475

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.28 ₹26.79

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$8.47 ₹811

126.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.56 ₹53.4

151.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.32 ₹30.20

303.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.19 ₹114

558.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.04 ₹99.9

22.12%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$15.3K ₹1.5M

39.02%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$20.0K ₹1.9M

10.88%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$11.53 ₹1,103

499.05%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.43 ₹328

310.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$5.21 ₹499

245.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$11.82 ₹1,132

247.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$10.68 ₹1,022

-34.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.87 ₹275

106.27%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$35.34 ₹3,382

746.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,523 ₹145.7K

881.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$23.77 ₹2,275

130.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$37.46 ₹3,585

-28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$59.7 ₹5,712

42.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$43.29 ₹4,142

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$114 ₹10.9K

276.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$69.0 ₹6,599

244.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$292 ₹27.9K

174.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$180 ₹17.2K

187.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,037 ₹99.2K

90.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$564 ₹54.0K

161.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$261 ₹25.0K

136.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aizawl: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $114 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 137% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $108 – 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 136%, 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $550 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $10.00 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $367 in Aizawl. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $367 in Aizawl, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.