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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $347 in Ajmer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $529 in Ajmer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $710 in Ajmer.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 146% more expensive than Ajmer, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Ajmer 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$1.69 ₹160

15.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$9.02 ₹856

108.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$2.53 ₹241

213.04%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$0.67 ₹63.8

185.07%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.38 ₹36.47

121.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.16 ₹15.36

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.26 ₹215

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.62 ₹248

45.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.65 ₹61.4

152.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.47 ₹44.61

244.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.79 ₹74.8

49.37%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.99 ₹94.2

103.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$5.26 ₹499

202.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.95 ₹281

2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.38 ₹131

89.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.48 ₹45.26

154.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.77 ₹73.5

120.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.59 ₹56.2

167.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.30 ₹28.56

340.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.36 ₹34.38

225.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.40 ₹37.85

67.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.35 ₹33.34

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$3.97 ₹377

14.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.43 ₹990

74.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.83 ₹173

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.84 ₹270

13.73%

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

$5.87 ₹557

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.34 ₹31.91

161.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.54 ₹811

126.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.73 ₹68.9

84.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.14 ₹13.40

864.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.48 ₹141

457.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.17 ₹111

8.55%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$13.3K ₹1.3M

59.12%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$23.2K ₹2.2M

-3.15%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$32.30 ₹3,067

117.18%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$4.08 ₹388

237.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$8.27 ₹785

112.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$21.59 ₹2,050

92.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.16 ₹680

-7.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.61 ₹247

121.46%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$57.3 ₹5,438

434.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,472 ₹139.8K

906.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$14.42 ₹1,369

277.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$23.35 ₹2,216

11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$23.24 ₹2,206

263.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$22.83 ₹2,168

204.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$86.1 ₹8,174

392.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$65.5 ₹6,215

263.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$182 ₹17.3K

353.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$140 ₹13.3K

268.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$5,710 ₹542.1K

-64.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$2,239 ₹212.6K

-31.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$416 ₹39.5K

52.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.85

-43.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ajmer: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $86.1 in Ajmer. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 53% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $9.00 in Ajmer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $108 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 146% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $347 including rent). Ajmer is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Chiang Mai pays 53% more on average, 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $86.1 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 127% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Chiang Mai versus $57.3 in Ajmer. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ajmer gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 146% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.