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 $381 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,354 in Chiang Mai versus $590 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Chiang Mai versus $798 in Amritsar.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 124% more expensive than Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Amritsar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.35 ₹223

-16.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$10.23 ₹971

83.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.42 ₹325

131.58%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.72 ₹163

11.05%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.36 ₹34.55

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.22 ₹20.90

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.70 ₹161

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.82 ₹268

34.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.62 ₹58.9

164.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.58 ₹54.7

179.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.87 ₹82.7

35.63%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.80 ₹76.1

151.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$4.75 ₹451

234.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.89 ₹275

4.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.58 ₹150

65.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.75 ₹71.0

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.69 ₹65.3

146.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.47 ₹44.35

236.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.35 ₹33.07

277.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.42 ₹40.18

178.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.36 ₹34.27

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.32 ₹30.11

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.11 ₹390

10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$9.96 ₹945

82.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.72 ₹163

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.74 ₹260

17.88%

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

$5.02 ₹476

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.42 ₹40.12

111.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$23.25 ₹2,207

-16.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.80 ₹75.6

68.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.22 ₹20.88

513.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.31 ₹124

529.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.20 ₹114

5.83%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$14.0K ₹1.3M

51.53%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$28.7K ₹2.7M

-21.71%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$48.37 ₹4,593

45.03%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.30 ₹313

317.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$7.04 ₹668

150.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$24.48 ₹2,324

69.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$4.33 ₹411

52.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$2.88 ₹274

100.69%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$34.99 ₹3,322

774.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$604 ₹57.3K

2355.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$24.78 ₹2,352

119.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$23.78 ₹2,257

9.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$49.22 ₹4,673

71.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$33.33 ₹3,164

108.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$68.6 ₹6,515

517.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$35.06 ₹3,329

579.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$127 ₹12.1K

549.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$88.1 ₹8,362

485.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$821 ₹78.0K

149.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$634 ₹60.2K

140.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$526 ₹49.9K

20.78%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Chiang Mai and $68.6 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 21% 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 $243 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 124% 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 21% 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: $424 in Chiang Mai versus $68.6 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 $381 in Amritsar – a 124% 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 $381 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 124% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.