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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $327 in Anantapur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $522 in Anantapur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $717 in Anantapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 165% more than Anantapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Anantapur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Anantapur 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$1.18 ₹113

64.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$6.80 ₹650

174.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.43 ₹328

127.99%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$0.59 ₹56.7

230.51%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.45 ₹43.41

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.17 ₹15.89

105.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.70 ₹163

25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.27 ₹217

64.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.51 ₹48.37

235.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.42 ₹40.34

288.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.71 ₹68.2

60.56%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$0.89 ₹85.3

116.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$8.38 ₹802

93.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.57 ₹342

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.03 ₹194

35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.81 ₹77.9

49.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.84 ₹80.6

92.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.51 ₹49.22

211.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.41 ₹38.81

241.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.41 ₹39.60

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.49 ₹46.81

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.36 ₹34.14

47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$4.28 ₹409

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$4.53 ₹433

311.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.88 ₹180

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$3.04 ₹291

6.25%

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

$7.33 ₹702

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.30 ₹28.76

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$8.68 ₹830

121.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.44 ₹42.33

220.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.13 ₹12.57

892.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.14 ₹110

587.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.21 ₹116

4.96%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

36.51%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

87.94%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$28.75 ₹2,751

140.24%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.55 ₹340

296.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$6.19 ₹592

190.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$14.53 ₹1,390

182.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$4.69 ₹448

48.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$4.62 ₹442

28.14%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$35.41 ₹3,388

744.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$985 ₹94.3K

1417.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$20.64 ₹1,975

165.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$11.70 ₹1,119

128.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$32.49 ₹3,109

161.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$26.64 ₹2,550

165.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$99.8 ₹9,552

328.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$63.6 ₹6,087

273.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$212 ₹20.3K

277.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$131 ₹12.6K

292.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$960 ₹91.9K

105.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$518 ₹49.6K

184.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$382 ₹36.6K

61.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.38

-40.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Anantapur: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $99.8 in Anantapur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Anantapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $112 – making Anantapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Anantapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 165%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $491 in Anantapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Anantapur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $7.00 in Anantapur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Chiang Mai and $327 in Anantapur. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $327 in Anantapur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Anantapur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Anantapur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.