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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $950 in Chiang Mai versus $296 in Ajmer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,430 in Chiang Mai versus $463 in Ajmer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Chiang Mai versus $630 in Ajmer.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 221% more expensive than in Ajmer, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ajmer 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.4

$1.60 ₹153

31.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$8.29 ₹792

139.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿192

$2.38 ₹228

143.28%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.5

$0.61 ₹58.3

200.00%

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

$0.78 ฿25.63

$0.38 ₹36.66

105.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.38

$0.12 ₹11.73

158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.3

$1.56 ₹149

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$2.41 ₹230

53.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.64 ₹60.7

217.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.8

$0.37 ₹35.22

332.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.80

$0.68 ₹65.4

108.82%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.0

$1.01 ₹96.3

115.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$4.80 ₹459

231.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$2.08 ₹199

47.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.9

$1.04 ₹99.1

152.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.23

$0.44 ₹42.06

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.9

$0.65 ₹61.9

150.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.55 ₹52.9

178.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.16

$0.30 ₹28.42

313.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.40

$0.31 ₹29.49

264.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.41

$0.48 ₹46.17

54.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.50

$0.29 ₹27.53

72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿142

$3.75 ₹358

14.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$10.67 ₹1,019

68.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.2

$1.51 ₹144

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.79 ₹171

62.01%

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

$4.94 ₹472

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.15

$0.31 ₹29.15

203.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,828

$7.37 ₹704

650.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.80

$0.82 ₹78.1

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.67

$0.15 ₹13.89

253.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.4

$2.59 ₹248

-7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.60

$1.07 ₹102

34.58%

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

$21.2K ฿700.9K

$12.0K ₹1.1M

77.08%

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

$27.3K ฿903.0K

$20.8K ₹2.0M

31.47%

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

$64.9 ฿2,147

$28.21 ₹2,695

130.17%

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

$13.35 ฿442

$2.94 ₹281

354.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿689

$7.39 ₹706

181.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,337

$17.50 ₹1,672

130.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$6.37 ₹609

-37.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$2.34 ₹224

186.75%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$51.6 ₹4,926

1426.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿500.1K

$1,621 ₹154.9K

832.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,859

$12.13 ₹1,159

363.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿825

$15.91 ₹1,520

56.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,066

$21.10 ₹2,016

339.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,484

$19.06 ₹1,821

294.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$83.1 ₹7,938

482.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,500

$61.4 ₹5,864

368.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$166 ₹15.8K

448.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$127 ₹12.1K

318.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.5K

$993 ₹94.9K

99.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿48.0K

$509 ₹48.6K

185.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$419 ₹40.1K

44.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.67

-52.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ajmer: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Chiang Mai and $83.1 in Ajmer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 44% 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 $8.00 in Ajmer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $94.0 per month, with Ajmer 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 Ajmer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Ajmer differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($950 vs $296 including rent). Ajmer is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $83.1 in Ajmer. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ajmer runs roughly 650% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $787 in Chiang Mai versus $51.6 in Ajmer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $296 in Ajmer versus $950 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ajmer but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ajmer 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 Ajmer 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 Ajmer gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.