Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and the Andaman Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Andaman Islands: $363 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in the Andaman Islands
Learn more

Andaman Islands Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Andaman Islands

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in the Andaman Islands

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in the Andaman Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $363 in the Andaman Islands.

Chiang Mai $925
Andaman Islands $363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $567 in the Andaman Islands.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Andaman Islands $567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $772 in the Andaman Islands.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Andaman Islands $772

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 155% more expensive than in the Andaman Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Andaman Islands 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.06 ₹195

11.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$6.13 ₹582

220.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.69 ₹351

52.03%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.28 ₹122

29.69%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.71 ₹67.2

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.20 ₹18.84

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.45 ₹137

66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.84 ₹269

30.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.95 ₹90.1

105.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.46 ₹43.52

206.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.72 ₹68.2

81.94%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.22 ₹116

78.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.42 ₹420

276.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.89 ₹275

-4.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.98 ₹188

20.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.62 ₹59.3

66.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.89 ₹84.5

83.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.45 ₹42.72

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.56 ₹53.2

130.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.40 ₹37.59

177.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.47 ₹44.44

53.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.25 ₹23.77

112.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$5.14 ₹488

-16.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.52 ₹714

138.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.65 ₹157

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.60 ₹247

9.23%

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

$5.02 ₹477

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.25 ₹23.51

244.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.75 ₹736

587.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.81 ₹76.9

49.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.27 ₹25.67

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.56 ₹148

50.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.04 ₹98.8

38.46%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$12.5K ₹1.2M

65.48%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$19.3K ₹1.8M

38.97%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.05 ₹3,328

77.83%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.40 ₹322

256.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.41 ₹608

211.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$14.38 ₹1,366

157.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$6.33 ₹601

-40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.42 ₹230

168.60%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$47.89 ₹4,547

1555.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,409 ₹133.8K

950.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$21.96 ₹2,085

144.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$23.14 ₹2,198

6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$38.59 ₹3,665

135.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$27.98 ₹2,657

154.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$123 ₹11.7K

269.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$73.4 ₹6,967

305.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$261 ₹24.8K

247.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$172 ₹16.4K

221.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$985 ₹93.6K

95.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$523 ₹49.7K

176.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$282 ₹26.8K

109.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for the Andaman Islands: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Andaman Islands

$73 20.2% 75.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Andaman Islands

$105 28.9% 55.5% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Andaman Islands

$50 13.9% 53.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Andaman Islands

$45 12.4% 52.5% $50

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Andaman Islands

$59 16.4% 24.4% $19

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Andaman Islands

$11 3% 82.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Andaman Islands

$19 5.3% 61.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $123 in the Andaman Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 109% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $6.00 in the Andaman Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $105 per month, with the Andaman Islands cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Andaman Islands

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

21:11 9:11 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

343,125

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Andaman Islands 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Andaman Islands

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Andaman Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andaman Islands is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $123 in the Andaman Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in the Andaman Islands runs roughly 587% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $47.89 in the Andaman Islands. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $363 in the Andaman Islands versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in the Andaman Islands but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Andaman Islands the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Andaman Islands is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Andaman Islands 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 Andaman Islands gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.