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: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $380 in Asansol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $616 in Asansol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $852 in Asansol.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 128% more expensive than Asansol, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Asansol 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$3.29 ₹315

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$11.60 ₹1,110

60.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$3.40 ₹326

130.00%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.36 ₹130

43.38%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.37 ₹35.59

129.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.16 ₹15.28

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.72 ₹164

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$1.76 ₹169

111.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.63 ₹60.2

171.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.36 ₹34.61

352.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.66 ₹62.9

72.73%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$0.87 ₹83.2

121.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$5.45 ₹521

197.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.83 ₹271

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.77 ₹169

55.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.53 ₹50.8

128.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.32 ₹127

22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.65 ₹62.0

144.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.34 ₹32.16

311.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.50 ₹48.04

134.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.36 ₹34.88

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.28 ₹26.52

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$4.05 ₹387

15.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$8.43 ₹807

121.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.72 ₹165

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.48 ₹238

30.24%

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

$7.24 ₹693

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.34 ₹32.09

164.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$15.80 ₹1,512

21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.57 ₹54.4

147.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.30 ₹28.96

330.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.03 ₹194

286.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.25 ₹120

1.60%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

33.07%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$19.7K ₹1.9M

12.56%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$39.59 ₹3,789

74.46%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.92 ₹375

259.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$7.36 ₹704

144.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$11.26 ₹1,078

264.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$8.39 ₹803

-17.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$3.41 ₹327

73.61%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$43.15 ₹4,129

593.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,583 ₹151.5K

844.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$26.84 ₹2,569

103.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$22.88 ₹2,189

17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$49.87 ₹4,772

70.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$31.37 ₹3,002

125.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$92.3 ₹8,836

363.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$58.5 ₹5,595

305.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$262 ₹25.1K

205.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$186 ₹17.8K

176.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$278 ₹26.6K

122.30%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Asansol: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $92.3 in Asansol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 122% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $12.00 in Asansol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $104 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 128% 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.

Chiang Mai pays 122% more on average, 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $92.3 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 $12.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Chiang Mai versus $380 in Asansol – a 128% 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 $380 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 128% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.