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: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $344 in Asansol.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $565 in Asansol.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $787 in Asansol.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 176% more expensive than in Asansol, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Asansol 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$2.07 ₹195

0.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$13.18 ₹1,246

49.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$3.06 ₹289

84.64%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$1.16 ₹110

56.03%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$0.44 ₹41.44

61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.13 ₹12.55

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$1.76 ₹167

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.55 ₹146

134.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.62 ₹58.8

216.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$0.38 ₹35.97

294.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$0.73 ₹68.9

83.56%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$0.83 ₹78.4

172.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$5.40 ₹510

201.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$3.08 ₹291

-4.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$1.99 ₹188

29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$0.51 ₹48.50

107.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.20 ₹114

34.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$0.63 ₹59.4

141.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$0.30 ₹28.63

323.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$0.39 ₹37.09

174.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.33 ₹31.61

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.28 ₹26.60

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$3.89 ₹368

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$10.53 ₹995

69.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.55 ₹146

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$2.74 ₹259

3.65%

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

$5.04 ₹477

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$0.34 ₹31.69

173.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$7.28 ₹688

639.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$0.60 ₹57.1

105.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.33 ₹31.62

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.85 ₹175

30.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.09 ₹103

29.36%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$14.4K ₹1.4M

49.40%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$17.9K ₹1.7M

52.46%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$35.13 ₹3,320

81.24%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$4.94 ₹467

160.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$7.27 ₹687

178.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$12.50 ₹1,181

209.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$7.76 ₹733

-48.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$2.91 ₹275

131.62%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$44.48 ₹4,203

1648.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$1,500 ₹141.7K

874.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$23.55 ₹2,225

130.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$20.17 ₹1,906

26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$31.08 ₹2,937

203.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$26.65 ₹2,518

175.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$85.6 ₹8,091

471.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$51.7 ₹4,888

459.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$239 ₹22.6K

274.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$171 ₹16.1K

203.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$274 ₹25.8K

120.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.08

-38.66%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Asansol: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $85.6 in Asansol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 120% 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 $13.00 in Asansol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $110 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 176% 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 120% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $85.6 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 $13.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $947 per month in Chiang Mai versus $344 in Asansol – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $344 in Asansol versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Asansol but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Asansol the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Asansol delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $344 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 176% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.