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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Chiang Mai versus $313 in Chhindwara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Chiang Mai versus $545 in Chhindwara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,866 in Chiang Mai versus $777 in Chhindwara.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 198% more expensive than in Chhindwara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Chhindwara 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.2

$2.15 ₹206

-3.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿652

$9.70 ₹930

102.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.59 ₹344

57.94%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.0

$1.58 ₹151

14.56%

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

$0.77 ฿25.55

$0.40 ₹38.13

92.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.48

$0.15 ₹14.33

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.67 ₹160

32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$3.20 ₹307

18.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.1

$0.58 ₹55.8

253.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.4

$0.36 ₹34.45

319.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.51

$0.52 ₹50.0

169.23%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.1

$0.85 ₹81.2

165.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$4.54 ₹436

256.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.58 ₹344

-18.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.1

$2.11 ₹203

27.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.23

$0.44 ₹41.79

147.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.8

$0.86 ₹82.7

88.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.55

$0.54 ₹52.2

170.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.48

$0.39 ₹36.95

228.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.17

$0.46 ₹43.97

130.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.85

$0.44 ₹41.92

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.49

$0.32 ₹30.52

65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.09 ₹488

-16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿608

$7.67 ₹735

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.2

$1.66 ₹159

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.5

$2.67 ₹256

8.61%

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

$5.08 ₹488

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.20

$0.22 ₹21.06

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,788

$7.59 ₹728

608.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$0.80 ₹77.0

46.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.22

$0.33 ₹31.21

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.3

$1.34 ₹128

78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.22

$1.06 ₹101

36.79%

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

$21.0K ฿698.6K

$13.4K ₹1.3M

56.83%

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

$26.4K ฿878.6K

$17.3K ₹1.7M

52.98%

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

$63.7 ฿2,116

$34.38 ₹3,297

85.14%

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

$12.89 ฿429

$2.55 ₹245

405.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿682

$6.53 ₹626

214.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,297

$8.23 ₹790

374.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$6.30 ₹604

-37.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿219

$2.69 ₹258

144.61%

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

$784 ฿26.1K

$31.59 ₹3,030

2381.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.9K

$1,415 ₹135.8K

936.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,833

$14.54 ₹1,395

279.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿823

$22.65 ₹2,173

9.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,130

$37.40 ₹3,588

151.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,459

$27.01 ₹2,591

173.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$51.7 ₹4,959

848.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,582

$30.71 ₹2,946

838.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$268 ₹25.7K

232.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$168 ₹16.1K

210.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.6K

$1,042 ₹99.9K

89.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

$513 ₹49.2K

181.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$213 ₹20.4K

182.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chhindwara: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $51.7 in Chhindwara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 183% 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 $10.00 in Chhindwara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $102 per month, with Chhindwara 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 Chhindwara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Chhindwara differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($932 vs $313 including rent). Chhindwara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 183% 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 $51.7 in Chhindwara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Chiang Mai versus $31.59 in Chhindwara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $313 in Chhindwara versus $932 in Chiang Mai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chhindwara but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Chhindwara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Chhindwara 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 Chhindwara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.