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 $306 in Cherthala, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $505 in Cherthala, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $703 in Cherthala, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 179% 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

$1.96 ฿64.0

$0.85 ₹80.3

130.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$10.04 ₹953

87.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$2.63 ₹250

201.14%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.19 ₹113

60.50%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.41 ₹38.46

104.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.14 ₹13.10

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.60 ₹152

38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.75 ₹261

38.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.59 ₹55.9

177.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.42 ₹39.98

285.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.55 ₹52.5

114.55%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.82 ₹78.2

145.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$5.24 ₹498

203.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.65 ₹251

13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$2.60 ₹247

0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.59 ₹56.0

106.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$1.58 ₹150

7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.45 ₹42.61

251.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.47 ₹44.38

180.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.45 ₹42.49

160.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.42 ₹40.02

59.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.32 ₹30.84

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$2.04 ₹194

122.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$1.90 ₹180

857.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.13 ₹107

61.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.71 ₹163

88.89%

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

$4.57 ₹434

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.30 ₹28.76

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.62 ₹819

124.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$1.18 ₹112

14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.30 ₹28.36

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.59 ₹151

418.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.19 ₹113

6.72%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

78.83%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$16.3K ₹1.5M

38.16%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$23.14 ₹2,197

203.15%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.36 ₹319

309.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$4.80 ₹456

266.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$11.67 ₹1,108

256.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$7.10 ₹674

-7.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$1.69 ₹161

242.01%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$57.2 ₹5,434

434.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,556 ₹147.7K

853.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$8.01 ₹761

578.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$9.21 ₹875

183.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$38.52 ₹3,658

119.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$15.42 ₹1,464

350.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$124 ₹11.8K

240.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$76.5 ₹7,258

211.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$277 ₹26.3K

198.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$181 ₹17.2K

185.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$961 ₹91.3K

113.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$519 ₹49.3K

193.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$236 ₹22.4K

169.00%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cherthala: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $124 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 169% 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: $243 vs $90.0 – 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 179% 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $459 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 $306 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 $306 in Cherthala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cherthala costs $306 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.