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: $852 in Chiang Mai versus $335 in Chhindwara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Chiang Mai versus $583 in Chhindwara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,867 in Chiang Mai versus $830 in Chhindwara.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 154% more expensive than in Chhindwara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Chhindwara 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.4

$2.37 ₹227

-13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿626

$10.33 ₹988

81.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿263

$3.83 ₹366

105.22%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.9

$1.53 ₹147

32.68%

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

$0.80 ฿26.71

$0.38 ₹36.03

110.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.71

$0.14 ₹13.31

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.76 ₹169

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.00 ₹287

22.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.8

$0.61 ₹58.3

183.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$0.39 ₹37.47

302.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.10

$0.57 ₹54.8

110.53%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿66.0

$0.94 ₹89.7

109.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿543

$4.93 ₹472

229.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$4.14 ₹396

-26.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿361

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.6

$1.97 ₹188

40.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.05

$0.48 ₹46.29

143.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.1

$0.97 ₹93.1

76.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.3

$0.57 ₹54.3

178.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.63

$0.39 ₹37.40

256.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.67

$0.53 ₹50.8

118.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.11

$0.49 ₹47.13

34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.35

$0.38 ₹36.65

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.87 ₹370

20.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$8.15 ₹780

118.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.8

$1.75 ₹168

2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.88 ₹275

15.97%

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

$5.24 ₹501

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.35

$0.27 ₹25.83

237.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿624

$8.82 ₹844

111.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.17

$0.80 ₹76.3

76.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.82

$0.22 ₹21.01

509.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿271

$1.41 ₹135

475.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.27

$1.22 ₹117

0.82%

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

$21.4K ฿717.0K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

56.13%

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

$21.8K ฿730.0K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

-1.41%

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

$71.3 ฿2,386

$39.20 ₹3,749

81.96%

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

$14.01 ฿469

$2.95 ₹282

374.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿600

$7.37 ₹705

143.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,365

$9.50 ₹908

329.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$6.82 ₹652

0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.83 ₹271

102.12%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$34.32 ₹3,282

798.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿491.0K

$1,545 ₹147.7K

850.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,865

$16.25 ₹1,554

243.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿871

$24.93 ₹2,384

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,837

$43.54 ₹4,164

94.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,375

$31.94 ₹3,055

122.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.2K

$58.6 ₹5,607

621.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,110

$34.25 ₹3,275

607.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.7K

$275 ₹26.3K

189.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿17.0K

$182 ₹17.4K

178.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.2K

$849 ₹81.2K

125.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿49.0K

$440 ₹42.1K

232.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$205 ₹19.6K

189.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chhindwara: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Chiang Mai and $58.6 in Chhindwara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 190% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $10.00 in Chhindwara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $111 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 154% in total monthly costs ($852 vs $335 including rent). Chhindwara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 190% 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: $423 in Chiang Mai versus $58.6 in Chhindwara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Chiang Mai versus $34.32 in Chhindwara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 121% 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.

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 154% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.