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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $370 in Asansol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $616 in Asansol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $861 in Asansol.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 133% more expensive than in Asansol, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$3.14 ₹303

-37.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$11.47 ₹1,107

59.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.43 ₹331

118.08%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.29 ₹124

56.59%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.40 ₹39.05

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.13 ₹12.76

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.78 ₹172

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$1.70 ₹164

111.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.62 ₹60.0

166.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.37 ₹35.36

324.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.65 ₹62.4

83.08%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.87 ₹83.8

122.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$5.58 ₹538

190.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.83 ₹273

5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.74 ₹168

55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.50 ₹48.05

134.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.28 ₹123

32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.64 ₹62.1

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.36 ₹35.14

283.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.50 ₹48.00

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.36 ₹35.06

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.28 ₹26.60

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.89 ₹375

19.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$9.30 ₹896

89.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.67 ₹161

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.47 ₹239

33.60%

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

$7.23 ₹697

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.36 ₹34.84

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$15.39 ₹1,484

25.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.57 ₹54.7

138.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.28 ₹26.81

378.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$2.08 ₹200

294.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.25 ₹121

-2.40%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

36.08%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$19.6K ₹1.9M

14.89%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$38.85 ₹3,746

81.90%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.90 ₹377

260.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$7.21 ₹695

142.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$11.21 ₹1,081

276.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$8.66 ₹835

-20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.54 ₹342

67.23%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$43.78 ₹4,222

604.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,601 ₹154.4K

829.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$26.83 ₹2,588

107.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$22.04 ₹2,126

18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$50.2 ₹4,843

65.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$31.09 ₹2,998

126.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$93.9 ₹9,057

360.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$59.1 ₹5,697

304.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$265 ₹25.6K

209.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$188 ₹18.1K

172.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$272 ₹26.2K

112.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.08

-44.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Asansol: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $93.9 in Asansol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 113% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $11.00 in Asansol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $106 per month, with Asansol 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 Asansol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asansol wins on cost – living expenses run 133% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Asansol the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 113% 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $93.9 in Asansol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Asansol – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $861 per month in Chiang Mai versus $370 in Asansol – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Asansol 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 Asansol delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $370 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Asansol hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Asansol 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 Asansol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.