Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Aizawl

For one person, living is cheaper in Aizawl: $363 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Aizawl
Learn more

Aizawl Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Aizawl

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Aizawl

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Aizawl actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $363 in Aizawl, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Aizawl $363

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $583 in Aizawl, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Aizawl $583

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $802 in Aizawl, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Aizawl $802

Chiang Mai costs about 158% more than Aizawl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.07 ₹197

8.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$10.55 ₹1,002

80.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.58 ₹340

55.03%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.67 ₹158

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.32 ₹30.72

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.15 ₹13.94

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.38 ₹226

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.84 ₹269

28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.76 ₹71.8

156.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.55 ₹51.8

161.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.63 ₹60.0

111.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.91 ₹86.7

150.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.02 ₹477

227.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.93 ₹373

-29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.90 ₹181

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.64 ₹60.6

51.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.95 ₹89.8

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.45 ₹43.09

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.33 ₹31.39

287.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.40 ₹38.05

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.40 ₹38.44

77.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.19 ₹18.06

157.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.03 ₹477

-17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$6.79 ₹644

158.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.66 ₹158

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.96 ₹281

-6.08%

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

$4.96 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.24 ₹22.68

262.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$6.10 ₹579

786.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.81 ₹76.5

43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.27 ₹25.55

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.39 ₹132

74.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.11 ₹105

30.63%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$9,805 ₹930.9K

114.78%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

21.82%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$36.75 ₹3,489

69.17%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.57 ₹339

240.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$6.53 ₹620

208.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$14.21 ₹1,350

162.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.62 ₹629

-43.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.97 ₹282

118.52%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$45.67 ₹4,335

1511.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$1,529 ₹145.1K

865.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$21.88 ₹2,078

143.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$23.92 ₹2,271

3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$38.25 ₹3,632

139.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$28.08 ₹2,666

156.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$103 ₹9,813

366.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$62.9 ₹5,975

390.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$255 ₹24.2K

294.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$160 ₹15.2K

296.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,015 ₹96.3K

132.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$500 ₹47.5K

217.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$263 ₹25.0K

124.12%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aizawl: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Aizawl

$63 17.3% 79.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Aizawl

$107 29.4% 54.4% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Aizawl

$50 13.9% 53.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Aizawl

$47 12.9% 50.4% $48

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Aizawl

$67 18.4% 13.9% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Aizawl

$9.2 2.5% 85% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Aizawl

$20 5.6% 59.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 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 in Chiang Mai are about 2.2 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $107 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Aizawl

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

291,822

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Aizawl 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Aizawl

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $545 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $103 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $11 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 $936 in Chiang Mai and $363 in Aizawl. That makes Aizawl about 61% cheaper.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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