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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $387 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $592 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $798 in Amritsar.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 120% more expensive than in Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Amritsar 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$2.26 ₹216

-9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$10.38 ₹990

80.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.47 ₹331

126.51%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.73 ₹165

17.34%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.40 ₹37.93

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.20 ₹19.03

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.71 ₹163

25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.98 ₹284

23.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.61 ₹58.2

183.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.58 ₹55.5

170.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.87 ₹83.4

37.93%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.88 ₹83.9

123.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$4.70 ₹449

245.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.01 ₹287

1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.56 ₹149

77.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.80 ₹76.2

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.63 ₹59.9

171.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.47 ₹44.90

238.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.34 ₹32.69

308.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.45 ₹43.08

157.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.36 ₹34.66

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.32 ₹30.15

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$4.17 ₹398

11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$11.32 ₹1,080

57.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.72 ₹164

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.86 ₹272

16.78%

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

$5.09 ₹486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.42 ₹40.37

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$23.15 ₹2,208

-19.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.85 ₹80.8

65.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.24 ₹22.94

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.29 ₹123

528.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.21 ₹115

1.65%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$14.0K ₹1.3M

52.76%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$29.5K ₹2.8M

-26.10%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$48.02 ₹4,580

48.54%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.32 ₹316

321.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$7.02 ₹670

155.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$24.88 ₹2,373

64.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$4.23 ₹404

62.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.96 ₹282

93.24%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$34.54 ₹3,294

792.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$612 ₹58.4K

2298.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$24.98 ₹2,382

123.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$23.73 ₹2,263

9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$47.88 ₹4,566

77.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$32.82 ₹3,130

116.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$69.5 ₹6,625

509.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$34.35 ₹3,276

605.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$127 ₹12.1K

527.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$87.0 ₹8,297

482.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$798 ₹76.1K

140.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$620 ₹59.1K

136.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$516 ₹49.2K

15.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

-39.76%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $69.5 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 15% 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 $10.00 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $110 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 120% 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 15% 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 $69.5 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 $10.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $852 per month in Chiang Mai versus $387 in Amritsar – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Amritsar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Amritsar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $387 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 120% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.