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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $460 in Dehradun, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $823 in Dehradun, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,185 in Dehradun, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Dehradun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Dehradun are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Dehradun 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$2.39 ₹227

-17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$9.31 ₹884

102.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.98 ₹378

98.99%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$1.75 ₹167

9.14%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.44 ₹41.82

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.19 ₹17.60

84.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$2.02 ₹192

9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.93 ₹278

29.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.75 ₹71.5

118.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.45 ₹43.08

260.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.71 ₹67.3

66.20%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$0.90 ₹85.5

123.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$4.66 ₹442

240.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$3.54 ₹336

-14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.95 ₹185

33.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.68 ₹65.0

79.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.79 ₹75.3

115.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.55 ₹52.2

187.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.35 ₹32.77

277.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.45 ₹42.65

160.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.55 ₹52.5

21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.38 ₹35.79

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.37 ₹415

3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.30 ₹978

76.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.71 ₹162

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.33 ₹221

38.63%

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

$5.96 ₹565

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.30 ₹28.62

196.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$13.99 ₹1,329

38.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.79 ₹74.7

70.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

$0.22 ₹20.87

513.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$2.08 ₹197

296.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.14 ₹108

11.40%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

63.00%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$20.3K ₹1.9M

10.53%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$40.89 ₹3,882

71.56%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.82 ₹363

260.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$7.28 ₹691

141.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$16.61 ₹1,577

150.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$10.82 ₹1,028

-39.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$5.41 ₹513

6.84%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$64.8 ₹6,149

372.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,111 ₹105.5K

1234.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$21.67 ₹2,058

150.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$28.23 ₹2,680

-7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$47.78 ₹4,536

76.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$43.43 ₹4,123

59.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$179 ₹17.0K

136.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$111 ₹10.6K

114.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$410 ₹38.9K

101.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$481 ₹45.7K

7.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$746 ₹70.8K

174.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$468 ₹44.4K

225.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$365 ₹34.7K

73.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

-39.39%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dehradun: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $179 in Dehradun. 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 74% 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 $9.00 in Dehradun. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $112 – making Dehradun 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 Dehradun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 85% more than Dehradun, 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 $690 in Dehradun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Chiang Mai and $64.8 in Dehradun. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 116% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $460 in Dehradun, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dehradun costs $460 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 Dehradun. 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.