Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dhule

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhule: $353 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$938
/mo nomad
Dhule
🇮🇳 India
$353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $353 in Dhule, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $938
  • Dhule $353

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $537 in Dhule, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,426
  • Dhule $537

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $720 in Dhule, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,914
  • Dhule $720

Chiang Mai costs about 165% more than Dhule, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dhule are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Dhule 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.26 ฿75.4
$2.55 ₹242
-11.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.18 ฿641
$7.36 ₹699
160.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.59 ฿187
$2.13 ₹203
162.44%
Cappuccino
$1.72 ฿57.6
$1.71 ₹162
0.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.54
$0.28 ₹26.42
128.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.18
$0.23 ₹21.59
43.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿78.7
$1.54 ₹147
53.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 ฿130
$2.76 ₹262
41.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ฿68.6
$0.61 ₹58.4
236.07%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 ฿46.70
$0.35 ₹33.46
300.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.89
$0.41 ₹38.51
212.20%
Eggs
$2.25 ฿75.3
$0.85 ₹80.5
164.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.94 ฿566
$2.66 ₹253
536.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.74 ฿91.6
$2.07 ₹196
32.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.36 ฿313
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.40 ฿80.3
$2.14 ₹203
12.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ฿33.92
$0.50 ₹47.49
102.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ฿53.9
$1.78 ₹169
-9.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 ฿50.7
$0.46 ₹44.12
230.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿42.90
$0.27 ₹25.74
374.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 ฿37.22
$0.22 ₹20.93
404.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 ฿24.09
$0.42 ₹39.59
71.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.54
$0.32 ₹30.71
62.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33 ฿145
$4.99 ₹474
-13.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.73 ฿593
$3.06 ₹291
479.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 ฿54.4
$1.06 ₹101
53.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.3
$2.64 ₹251
7.95%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$3.84 ₹365
-
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 ฿28.31
$1.58 ₹150
-46.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.9 ฿1,801
$9.03 ₹858
496.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 ฿39.18
$0.54 ₹51.5
116.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.57 ฿19.00
$0.15 ₹14.40
280.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.37 ฿79.2
$1.54 ₹146
53.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.13 ₹107
28.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K ฿684.3K
$10.4K ₹985.2K
97.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K ฿886.1K
$24.1K ₹2.3M
10.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.3 ฿2,083
$50.1 ₹4,755
24.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.27 ฿410
$2.56 ₹243
379.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.97 ฿668
$6.25 ₹593
219.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.91 ฿1,267
$15.98 ₹1,517
137.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.76 ฿126
$10.61 ₹1,007
-64.56%
Cinema Ticket
$6.71 ฿224
$4.23 ₹402
58.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 ฿26.6K
$72.5 ₹6,884
999.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿495.7K
$1,464 ₹139.0K
912.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 ฿1,780
$19.73 ₹1,874
169.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.05 ฿837
$17.17 ₹1,630
45.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.6 ฿3,062
$39.61 ₹3,762
131.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.5 ฿2,455
$32.38 ₹3,074
126.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$464 ฿15.5K
$93.4 ₹8,871
396.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 ฿10.2K
$62.3 ₹5,914
389.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$915 ฿30.6K
$154 ₹14.7K
493.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 ฿18.5K
$115 ₹10.9K
382.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,912 ฿63.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,438 ฿48.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Dhule
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$595 ฿19.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
8.5
-34.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Dhule: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$305
Dhule
$62 79.6% $242
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$238
Dhule
$80 66.5% $158
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$110
Dhule
$49 55.3% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$95
Dhule
$59 37.7% $36
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$79
Dhule
$63 20.8% $16
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Dhule
$17 72.8% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$51
Dhule
$24 52.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $93.4 in Dhule. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Dhule. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $80.0 – making Dhule the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇮🇳 Dhule
🕒 Local time
23:17 11:17 PM
21:47 9:47 PM
1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
375,550
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Dhule 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Dhule

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 Dhule: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Dhule?
Chiang Mai costs about 165% more than Dhule, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Dhule?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $530 in Dhule. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Dhule?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhule, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Dhule?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $72.5 in Dhule. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Dhule?
Groceries cost about 199% 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Chiang Mai or in Dhule?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dhule, where all-in costs run around $353, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Dhule it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chiang Mai or Dhule?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhule costs $353 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chiang Mai compared to Dhule?
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.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Dhule?
If budget matters most, go with Dhule. 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.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?