Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Dimapur

For one person, living is cheaper in Dimapur: $338 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Dimapur
Learn more

Dimapur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Dimapur

🇮🇳 India

$338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $338 in Dimapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Dimapur $338

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $554 in Dimapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Dimapur $554

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $771 in Dimapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Dimapur $771

Chiang Mai costs about 177% more than Dimapur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Dimapur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Dimapur 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.84 ₹270

-21.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$11.67 ₹1,108

62.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.27 ₹501

5.31%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.47 ₹235

-32.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.40 ₹38.41

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.15 ₹13.80

106.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.28 ₹121

84.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.45 ₹328

6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.63 ₹59.6

209.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.47 ₹44.28

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.56 ₹53.0

137.50%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.96 ₹91.6

137.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.86 ₹367

326.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.36 ₹319

-17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.23 ₹212

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.71 ₹67.8

36.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.90 ₹85.5

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.62 ₹58.4

141.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.35 ₹33.41

265.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.38 ₹35.68

189.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.33 ₹31.74

115.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.29 ₹27.73

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.02 ₹477

-17.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.00 ₹665

150.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.73 ₹164

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.45 ₹233

13.47%

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

$4.85 ₹461

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.23 ₹21.90

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$7.91 ₹751

583.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.69 ₹65.8

68.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.30 ₹28.70

76.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$1.35 ₹128

79.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.10 ₹105

31.82%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

88.00%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$16.3K ₹1.5M

65.65%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$15.68 ₹1,489

296.49%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.29 ₹312

269.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$6.15 ₹584

227.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$14.27 ₹1,355

161.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.70 ₹541

-33.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.19 ₹303

103.45%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$27.55 ₹2,616

2572.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$2,216 ₹210.4K

566.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$17.50 ₹1,662

204.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$31.55 ₹2,996

-21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$37.11 ₹3,524

146.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$27.73 ₹2,633

159.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$63.7 ₹6,050

656.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$44.24 ₹4,200

598.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$166 ₹15.7K

507.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$116 ₹11.0K

446.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,017 ₹96.6K

132.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$556 ₹52.7K

186.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dimapur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Dimapur

$44 13.1% 85.7% $265

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Dimapur

$102 30.1% 56.6% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Dimapur

$51 15.2% 52.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Dimapur

$25 7.4% 73.4% $69

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Dimapur

$84 24.8% 7.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Dimapur

$11 3.3% 82% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Dimapur

$21 6.1% 58.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $64 in Dimapur. 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 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Dimapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $102 – making Dimapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Dimapur

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

122,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Dimapur 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Dimapur

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 Dimapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 177% more than Dimapur, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $507 in Dimapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dimapur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $64 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $28 in Dimapur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 130% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Dimapur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Dimapur is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.