Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Amritsar

For one person, living is cheaper in Amritsar: $426 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Amritsar
Learn more

Amritsar Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Amritsar

🇮🇳 India

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Amritsar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $426 in Amritsar.

Chiang Mai $935
Amritsar $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $682 in Amritsar.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Amritsar $682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $938 in Amritsar.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Amritsar $938

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 119% more expensive than in Amritsar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Amritsar 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.2

$2.14 ₹202

-0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿622

$8.59 ₹811

116.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$3.44 ₹325

62.79%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.91 ₹180

-13.09%

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

$0.65 ฿21.59

$0.41 ₹38.61

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.18

$0.20 ₹18.85

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

$1.57 ₹148

47.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.14 ₹297

16.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.3

$0.70 ₹66.0

188.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.00

$0.52 ₹48.82

171.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

$0.84 ₹79.1

65.48%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.0

$0.89 ₹84.0

166.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

$4.30 ₹406

284.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

$2.87 ₹271

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

$1.67 ₹158

43.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

$0.76 ₹71.8

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$0.59 ₹55.6

181.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

$0.45 ₹42.13

246.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

$0.28 ₹26.03

342.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

$0.34 ₹32.25

220.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

$0.30 ₹28.76

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.16

$0.31 ₹28.90

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$5.06 ₹478

-18.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

$11.43 ₹1,080

56.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.72 ₹163

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

$2.66 ₹251

6.02%

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

$5.47 ₹517

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

$0.36 ₹33.69

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

$20.90 ₹1,974

153.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

$0.99 ₹93.3

19.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

$0.22 ₹20.80

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

$1.62 ₹153

11.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

$1.13 ₹107

30.09%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

83.46%

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

$25.6K ₹2.4M

3.47%

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

$62.6 ฿2,088

$37.84 ₹3,575

65.33%

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

$11.60 ฿387

$3.10 ₹293

274.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿678

$6.89 ₹651

194.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,264

$29.51 ₹2,788

28.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

$5.22 ₹493

-29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿217

$3.12 ₹295

108.65%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$38.75 ₹3,661

1776.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.2K

$1,606 ₹151.7K

931.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,787

$27.84 ₹2,630

92.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿828

$24.92 ₹2,354

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,017

$53.7 ₹5,069

68.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,402

$43.63 ₹4,122

64.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$121 ₹11.5K

296.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.3K

$76.9 ₹7,263

303.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.3K

$288 ₹27.2K

267.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$214 ₹20.2K

207.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

$1,141 ₹107.8K

111.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

$808 ₹76.4K

99.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$387 ₹36.6K

53.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Amritsar

$77 18% 75.2% $233

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Amritsar

$107 25.1% 54.8% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Amritsar

$68 15.8% 37.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Amritsar

$48 11.2% 49.4% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Amritsar

$67 15.7% 12.6% $9.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Amritsar

$24 5.7% 58.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Amritsar

$36 8.4% 29.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $121 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 54% 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 in Chiang Mai vs $9 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $107 per month, with Amritsar cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Amritsar

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

21:17 9:17 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,132,761

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.42 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.42 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Amritsar 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Amritsar

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 Amritsar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amritsar wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Amritsar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Amritsar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Amritsar – a meal for two runs $9 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $426 in Amritsar – Amritsar is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $426 in Amritsar versus $935 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Amritsar but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Amritsar 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.

Expats usually find Amritsar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.