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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $301 in Cherthala, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $497 in Cherthala, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $693 in Cherthala, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 183% more than Cherthala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Cherthala are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Cherthala 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$0.84 ₹80.3

142.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$10.07 ₹961

85.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$2.66 ₹254

195.49%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.14 ₹109

78.07%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.40 ₹38.42

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.12 ₹11.72

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.55 ₹148

38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.78 ₹265

32.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.63 ₹60.5

174.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.42 ₹40.25

273.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.61 ₹58.0

96.72%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.81 ₹77.1

143.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$5.36 ₹511

202.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$2.69 ₹256

13.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.63 ₹250

5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.59 ₹56.7

98.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.57 ₹149

8.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.48 ₹46.06

231.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.51 ₹48.79

172.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.45 ₹43.20

157.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.40 ₹38.04

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.36 ₹33.91

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.13 ₹203

118.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$1.90 ₹181

835.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.17 ₹112

52.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$1.73 ₹165

93.06%

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

$4.65 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.30 ₹28.88

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.57 ₹817

117.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$1.19 ₹114

18.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

$0.32 ₹30.91

318.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.65 ₹158

391.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.22 ₹117

0.82%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

85.28%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$16.3K ₹1.5M

34.30%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$22.99 ₹2,192

210.27%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.45 ₹329

306.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$4.83 ₹461

271.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$11.59 ₹1,106

252.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$7.22 ₹689

-4.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$1.72 ₹164

232.56%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$58.5 ₹5,578

427.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,527 ₹145.6K

861.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$8.02 ₹765

595.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$9.32 ₹889

179.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$38.40 ₹3,662

120.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$15.53 ₹1,481

357.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$126 ₹12.0K

235.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$75.2 ₹7,174

222.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$277 ₹26.4K

188.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$183 ₹17.4K

177.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$1,007 ₹96.1K

90.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$524 ₹49.9K

179.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$239 ₹22.8K

149.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.36

-46.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Cherthala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 149% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Cherthala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $93.0 – making Cherthala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cherthala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 183% more than Cherthala, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $452 in Cherthala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cherthala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $10.00 in Cherthala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $852 in Chiang Mai and $301 in Cherthala. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $301 in Cherthala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cherthala costs $301 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cherthala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.