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: $869 in Chiang Mai versus $376 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,362 in Chiang Mai versus $593 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Chiang Mai versus $810 in Amritsar.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 131% more expensive than Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Amritsar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$2.31 ₹220

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$10.24 ₹974

83.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$3.55 ₹337

118.31%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$1.77 ₹168

8.47%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.37 ₹35.19

113.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.20 ₹18.98

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.79 ₹170

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.87 ₹273

27.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.61 ₹58.0

170.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.53 ₹50.8

207.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.88 ₹83.7

35.23%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$0.87 ₹82.6

129.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$4.63 ₹440

245.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$3.03 ₹288

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.51 ₹144

82.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.76 ₹72.3

55.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.68 ₹64.3

141.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.47 ₹44.40

223.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.35 ₹33.18

294.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.46 ₹43.56

158.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.36 ₹34.46

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.35 ₹32.92

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$4.00 ₹380

14.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$9.85 ₹937

68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.75 ₹166

4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.76 ₹263

15.94%

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

$5.27 ₹501

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.39 ₹37.09

125.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$22.81 ₹2,169

-17.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.77 ₹73.4

76.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

$0.24 ₹22.96

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.25 ₹119

527.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.21 ₹115

1.65%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

52.96%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$29.6K ₹2.8M

-23.92%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$46.97 ₹4,467

50.18%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$3.45 ₹329

296.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$6.85 ₹652

154.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$24.69 ₹2,348

67.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$4.31 ₹410

61.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.99 ₹284

92.98%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$34.54 ₹3,285

789.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$602 ₹57.3K

2325.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$24.49 ₹2,329

127.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$24.15 ₹2,296

8.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$47.78 ₹4,544

79.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$33.28 ₹3,165

117.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$69.1 ₹6,575

521.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$34.80 ₹3,309

585.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$128 ₹12.2K

537.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$88.2 ₹8,390

478.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$816 ₹77.6K

142.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$625 ₹59.4K

137.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$531 ₹50.5K

16.47%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Chiang Mai and $69.1 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 16% 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 $241 vs $106 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 131% 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.

Chiang Mai pays 16% 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: $430 in Chiang Mai versus $69.1 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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai versus $376 in Amritsar – a 131% 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 $376 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 131% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.