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 $337 in Ajmer.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $527 in Ajmer.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $716 in Ajmer.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 153% more expensive than in Ajmer, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Ajmer 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.1

$1.73 ₹165

17.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$9.16 ₹877

104.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$2.50 ₹239

214.40%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.6

$0.67 ₹63.7

202.99%

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

$0.80 ฿26.63

$0.35 ₹33.87

128.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.13 ₹12.62

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$2.35 ₹224

-8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.62 ₹250

40.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.64 ₹61.1

170.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.47 ₹44.64

234.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.98

$0.81 ₹77.1

48.15%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.91 ₹86.6

116.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$5.35 ₹512

203.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.07 ₹294

-0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.44 ₹138

92.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.93

$0.51 ₹48.50

129.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿56.9

$0.73 ₹70.3

134.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.55 ₹52.6

189.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.49

$0.30 ₹28.76

363.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.55

$0.37 ₹35.12

213.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.40 ₹37.98

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.30

$0.35 ₹33.85

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$4.15 ₹397

12.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$10.64 ₹1,018

67.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.83 ₹175

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.98 ₹286

12.08%

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

$5.89 ₹563

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.26

$0.36 ₹34.82

152.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.89 ₹850

109.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.02

$0.72 ₹68.8

95.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.69

$0.15 ₹14.27

793.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.47 ₹141

451.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.14

$1.17 ₹112

5.13%

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

$21.4K ฿714.9K

$13.6K ₹1.3M

57.20%

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

$21.8K ฿727.8K

$23.7K ₹2.3M

-7.77%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$31.76 ₹3,039

124.59%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.91 ₹374

258.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$7.87 ₹753

127.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,361

$20.99 ₹2,008

94.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$6.90 ₹660

-0.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.66 ₹254

115.04%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$57.4 ₹5,495

436.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.5K

$1,482 ₹141.8K

890.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$14.40 ₹1,377

287.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿868

$22.89 ₹2,190

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,828

$23.36 ₹2,235

263.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$23.68 ₹2,265

199.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$84.5 ₹8,082

401.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,086

$66.3 ₹6,347

265.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$181 ₹17.4K

339.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$141 ₹13.5K

260.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$994 ₹95.1K

93.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$509 ₹48.7K

187.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.8K

$412 ₹39.4K

44.49%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ajmer: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $84.5 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $9.00 in Ajmer for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $109 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 153% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $337 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $84.5 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 110% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $308 in Chiang Mai versus $57.4 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 153% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.