Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Daman

For one person, living is cheaper in Daman: $391 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Daman
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Daman Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Daman

🇮🇳 India

$391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $391 in Daman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Daman $391

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $638 in Daman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Daman $638

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $884 in Daman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Daman $884

Chiang Mai costs about 140% more than Daman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Daman are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Daman 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.03 ₹193

11.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$20.49 ₹1,946

-6.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.12 ₹391

35.68%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.65 ₹251

-35.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.37 ₹35.44

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.15 ₹14.27

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.69 ₹255

-12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.25 ₹404

-8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.66 ₹62.2

210.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.30 ₹28.02

366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.40 ₹38.31

220.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.73 ₹69.0

208.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.66 ₹538

199.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.04 ₹194

34.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.13 ₹203

12.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.20 ₹18.95

405.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.20 ₹114

34.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.47 ₹44.28

223.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.34 ₹32.13

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.20 ₹18.95

455.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.43 ₹40.95

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.25 ₹23.88

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.04 ₹194

112.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$8.20 ₹778

116.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.97 ₹187

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.07 ₹291

-7.17%

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

$6.18 ₹587

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.27 ₹25.85

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$6.61 ₹628

715.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.30 ₹28.10

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.32 ₹30.55

78.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.61 ₹153

47.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.07 ₹101

35.51%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$16.1K ₹1.5M

26.99%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$22.7K ₹2.2M

16.65%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$60.4 ₹5,733

3.23%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$2.63 ₹249

366.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$5.19 ₹493

284.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.26 ₹1,354

165.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.22 ₹591

-39.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.59 ₹246

159.07%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$47.36 ₹4,497

1583.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,396 ₹132.6K

962.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$14.80 ₹1,405

259.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$23.84 ₹2,264

5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$25.46 ₹2,418

259.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$20.79 ₹1,975

253.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$110 ₹10.4K

323.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$72.5 ₹6,887

320.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$252 ₹23.9K

263.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$191 ₹18.1K

189.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$989 ₹93.9K

93.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$524 ₹49.8K

174.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$212 ₹20.1K

180.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Daman: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Daman

$73 18.5% 76.2% $232

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Daman

$99 25.3% 58.5% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Daman

$38 9.8% 65.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Daman

$68 17.4% 27.9% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Daman

$84 21.6% 6.8% $5.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Daman

$9.6 2.5% 84.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Daman

$19 5% 62.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $110 in Daman. 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 181% 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 $20.00 in Daman. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $99.0 in Daman – so Daman wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Daman

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

01:07 1:07 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

35,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Daman 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Daman

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 Daman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 140% more than Daman, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $587 in Daman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $47.36 in Daman. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 141% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daman, where all-in costs run around $391, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Daman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Daman costs $391 versus $938 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 Daman. 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.