Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Asansol

For one person, living is cheaper in Asansol: $343 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Asansol
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Asansol Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Asansol

🇮🇳 India

$343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Asansol

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 Asansol actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $343 in Asansol.

Chiang Mai $925
Asansol $343

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $574 in Asansol.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Asansol $574

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $806 in Asansol.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Asansol $806

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 170% more expensive than in Asansol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Asansol 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.17 ₹206

5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$13.96 ₹1,325

40.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.21 ₹305

74.77%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.17 ₹111

41.88%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.46 ₹43.27

52.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.16 ₹14.89

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.78 ₹169

35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.61 ₹153

130.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.65 ₹61.7

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.29 ₹27.47

386.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.70 ₹66.6

87.14%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.84 ₹79.5

159.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$5.53 ₹525

201.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.98 ₹283

-7.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.05 ₹195

16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.55 ₹52.1

87.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.22 ₹116

33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.68 ₹64.7

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.30 ₹28.60

330.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.39 ₹37.43

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.31 ₹29.08

132.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.28 ₹26.89

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.75 ₹356

14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$10.40 ₹988

72.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.51 ₹144

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.70 ₹257

5.19%

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

$5.13 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.33 ₹31.79

160.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.24 ₹688

635.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.88 ₹83.4

37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.33 ₹31.76

72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.59 ₹151

47.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.10 ₹104

30.91%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

59.94%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$18.2K ₹1.7M

47.63%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$35.97 ₹3,416

73.28%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$5.02 ₹476

141.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.38 ₹701

170.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$12.05 ₹1,144

207.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$7.80 ₹740

-51.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.86 ₹272

127.27%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$43.27 ₹4,109

1731.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,460 ₹138.6K

914.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$23.19 ₹2,203

131.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$20.48 ₹1,945

20.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$36.16 ₹3,434

151.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$29.45 ₹2,797

141.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$84.9 ₹8,066

436.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$52.1 ₹4,951

471.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$241 ₹22.9K

277.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$167 ₹15.9K

230.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$271 ₹25.8K

117.74%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Asansol: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Asansol

$52 15.2% 82.5% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Asansol

$109 31.8% 53.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Asansol

$49 14.3% 54.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Asansol

$48 14.1% 48.7% $46

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Asansol

$56 16.2% 29.3% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Asansol

$11 3.2% 81.7% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Asansol

$18 5.2% 64.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $84.9 in Asansol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 118% 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 $14.00 in Asansol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $109 per month, with Asansol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Asansol

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

500,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Asansol 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Asansol

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 Asansol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asansol wins on cost – living expenses run 170% 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 118% 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 $84.9 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 $14.00 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 $925 per month in Chiang Mai versus $343 in Asansol – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $343 in Asansol versus $925 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 $343 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 170% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.