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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $395 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $600 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $804 in Amritsar.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 136% more expensive than in Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Amritsar 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.07 ₹199

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$8.20 ₹786

139.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.33 ₹319

70.27%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.95 ₹187

-7.18%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.40 ₹38.53

92.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.22 ₹21.14

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.56 ₹149

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.15 ₹303

20.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.71 ₹68.4

188.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.55 ₹52.5

174.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.83 ₹79.8

68.67%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.83 ₹79.9

172.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.09 ₹392

295.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.82 ₹270

2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.85 ₹177

44.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.72 ₹68.9

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.56 ₹53.8

189.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.48 ₹45.61

204.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.32 ₹30.93

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.34 ₹33.03

211.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.32 ₹30.84

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.30 ₹28.33

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.95 ₹475

-14.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$11.41 ₹1,094

60.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.72 ₹165

-5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.66 ₹256

9.02%

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

$5.57 ₹535

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.39 ₹37.03

125.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$20.89 ₹2,004

157.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.06 ₹102

10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.20 ₹19.14

190.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.65 ₹158

44.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.06 ₹102

36.79%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$12.3K ₹1.2M

70.85%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$24.5K ₹2.4M

7.82%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$46.09 ₹4,421

38.10%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.01 ₹289

328.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.91 ₹663

196.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$29.35 ₹2,816

32.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$5.18 ₹497

-24.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.20 ₹307

105.62%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$37.68 ₹3,615

1980.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$584 ₹56.0K

2413.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$27.10 ₹2,600

103.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$24.48 ₹2,348

1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$53.1 ₹5,093

77.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$43.24 ₹4,148

71.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$62.0 ₹5,952

690.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$31.75 ₹3,046

807.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$117 ₹11.2K

664.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$79.1 ₹7,588

558.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$809 ₹77.6K

143.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$634 ₹60.8K

127.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$682 ₹65.5K

-11.85%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $62.0 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amritsar pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $8.00 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $107 per month, with Amritsar 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 Amritsar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amritsar wins on cost – living expenses run 136% 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.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Amritsar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $62.0 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 $8.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Chiang Mai versus $395 in Amritsar – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $395 in Amritsar versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Amritsar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $395 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Amritsar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Amritsar 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 Amritsar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.