Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Chhindwara

For one person, living is cheaper in Chhindwara: $266 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
13

Cost of Living Index in Chhindwara
Learn more

Chhindwara Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Chhindwara

🇮🇳 India

$266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $266 in Chhindwara.

Chiang Mai $935
Chhindwara $266

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $483 in Chhindwara.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Chhindwara $483

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $699 in Chhindwara.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Chhindwara $699

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 251% more expensive than in Chhindwara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Chhindwara 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$2.62 ₹247

-18.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$9.49 ₹897

96.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$3.25 ₹307

72.31%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.14 ₹108

45.61%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.38 ₹36.27

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.10 ₹8.98

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.86 ₹176

24.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.52 ₹238

45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$0.63 ₹59.3

220.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$0.38 ₹35.77

271.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$0.61 ₹57.2

127.87%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$0.84 ₹79.4

182.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$4.65 ₹440

255.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$2.96 ₹279

-9.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$1.77 ₹168

35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$0.52 ₹48.76

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$0.85 ₹80.8

95.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$0.47 ₹44.58

231.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$0.36 ₹34.21

244.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$0.37 ₹35.14

194.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.49 ₹45.89

55.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.33 ₹30.72

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$3.79 ₹358

8.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$5.13 ₹485

249.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.25 ₹118

29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$2.72 ₹256

3.68%

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

$5.02 ₹474

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.25 ₹23.77

272.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$8.13 ₹768

550.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.52 ₹48.67

126.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.22 ₹20.81

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$1.30 ₹123

39.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$1.16 ₹109

26.72%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

83.53%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$17.4K ₹1.6M

52.17%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$26.68 ₹2,520

134.48%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$2.69 ₹254

331.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$6.36 ₹600

219.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$8.53 ₹806

344.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$6.74 ₹637

-45.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.36 ₹223

175.85%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$31.35 ₹2,962

2219.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$422 ₹39.9K

3824.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$14.54 ₹1,373

268.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$8.50 ₹803

191.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$16.10 ₹1,520

461.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$9.54 ₹901

654.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$52.4 ₹4,948

818.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$32.14 ₹3,036

864.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$267 ₹25.2K

296.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$189 ₹17.9K

248.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$1,008 ₹95.2K

139.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$485 ₹45.8K

231.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$212 ₹20.0K

180.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chhindwara: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Chhindwara

$32 12.1% 89.6% $278

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Chhindwara

$92 34.5% 61.1% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Chhindwara

$22 8.2% 79.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Chhindwara

$36 13.4% 62.2% $59

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Chhindwara

$61 22.8% 20.8% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Chhindwara

$11 4% 81.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Chhindwara

$13 5% 74% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $52 in Chhindwara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.8 times 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 in Chiang Mai vs $9 in Chhindwara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $92 per month, with Chhindwara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Chhindwara

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

20:29 8:29 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

138,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.59 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Chhindwara 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Chhindwara

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 Chhindwara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $935 in Chiang Mai and $266 in Chhindwara, so Chhindwara is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $52 in Chhindwara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Chiang Mai versus $31 in Chhindwara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Chhindwara gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chhindwara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.