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 $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $363 in Anantapur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $545 in Anantapur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $726 in Anantapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 157% more than Anantapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Anantapur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Anantapur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.17 ₹113

77.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$6.35 ₹609

208.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.74 ₹359

51.60%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$0.54 ₹52.1

235.19%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.39 ₹37.27

97.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.10 ₹9.22

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.85 ₹177

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.14 ₹205

77.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.52 ₹50.3

294.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.47 ₹44.90

221.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.65 ₹62.7

115.38%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.86 ₹82.9

162.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$7.79 ₹747

107.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.79 ₹268

3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.97 ₹189

36.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.73 ₹69.6

49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.93 ₹88.8

74.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.39 ₹37.28

274.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.38 ₹36.48

236.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.46 ₹43.76

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.36 ₹34.48

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.27 ₹26.19

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.68 ₹353

14.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$4.34 ₹416

321.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.59 ₹152

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.89 ₹277

0.35%

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

$7.12 ₹683

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.54 ₹51.4

62.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$15.59 ₹1,496

244.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.38 ₹36.17

207.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.54 ₹51.4

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.02 ₹98.1

134.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.05 ₹101

38.10%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

51.02%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

152.62%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$25.85 ₹2,480

146.23%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.49 ₹335

269.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$4.41 ₹423

365.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$19.70 ₹1,890

98.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.43 ₹617

-39.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.81 ₹269

134.16%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$53.6 ₹5,141

1363.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,138 ₹109.2K

1188.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$15.60 ₹1,497

253.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$10.41 ₹999

137.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$29.58 ₹2,838

218.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$26.05 ₹2,499

183.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$145 ₹13.9K

238.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$110 ₹10.5K

162.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$403 ₹38.6K

121.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$172 ₹16.5K

202.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$979 ₹93.9K

101.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$510 ₹48.9K

183.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$386 ₹37.1K

55.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Anantapur: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $145 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 56% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $6.00 in Anantapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $102 – 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 157%, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $545 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $6.00 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 $932 in Chiang Mai and $363 in Anantapur. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Anantapur, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Anantapur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.