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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $337 in Anantapur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $522 in Anantapur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $708 in Anantapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Anantapur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Anantapur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Anantapur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$1.14 ₹110

71.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$7.14 ₹688

157.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.58 ₹344

108.94%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.56 ₹54.3

260.71%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.45 ₹43.07

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.15 ₹14.53

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.78 ₹171

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.30 ₹221

56.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.50 ₹48.15

230.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.40 ₹38.41

292.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.72 ₹69.4

65.28%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.90 ₹86.7

115.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$8.57 ₹825

88.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.69 ₹356

-18.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.02 ₹195

34.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.76 ₹73.4

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.85 ₹81.8

98.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.52 ₹50.1

207.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.40 ₹38.95

245.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.41 ₹39.64

192.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.46 ₹44.03

45.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.32 ₹31.17

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.42 ₹426

4.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$4.38 ₹421

302.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.78 ₹172

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.16 ₹304

4.43%

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

$7.15 ₹688

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.28 ₹26.70

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$8.48 ₹816

128.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.42 ₹40.43

223.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.15 ₹14.14

793.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.18 ₹113

595.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.21 ₹117

0.83%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

38.42%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

93.65%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$29.65 ₹2,854

138.35%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.45 ₹332

306.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$6.10 ₹587

186.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$14.23 ₹1,369

196.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$4.61 ₹444

49.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$4.71 ₹454

25.69%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$35.30 ₹3,399

774.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$991 ₹95.4K

1401.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$20.47 ₹1,971

172.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$11.66 ₹1,123

123.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$33.21 ₹3,197

149.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$27.05 ₹2,604

160.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$97.2 ₹9,359

344.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$63.8 ₹6,142

274.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$213 ₹20.5K

285.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$133 ₹12.8K

284.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$968 ₹93.2K

97.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$512 ₹49.3K

186.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$381 ₹36.7K

51.93%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Anantapur: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $97.2 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 52% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Anantapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 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 155%, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $506 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 $18.00 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $337 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $337 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.