Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Indore

For one person, living is cheaper in Indore: $426 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Indore
Learn more

Indore Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Indore

🇮🇳 India

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $426 in Indore, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Indore $426

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $699 in Indore, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Indore $699

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $972 in Indore, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Indore $972

Chiang Mai costs about 119% more than Indore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Indore are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Indore 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.07 ₹197

8.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$15.68 ₹1,493

21.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.07 ₹293

80.78%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.46 ₹139

14.38%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.46 ₹44.17

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.21 ₹19.57

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.86 ₹177

26.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.08 ₹293

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.67 ₹63.9

191.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.42 ₹39.53

242.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.67 ₹64.2

98.51%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.94 ₹89.1

142.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$4.85 ₹462

239.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.60 ₹248

6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.81 ₹172

29.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.56 ₹53.6

73.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.93 ₹88.8

72.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.48 ₹45.46

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.36 ₹33.84

255.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.40 ₹38.32

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.51 ₹48.36

39.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.31 ₹29.42

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$5.01 ₹477

-17.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$7.44 ₹708

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.94 ₹185

-17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.25 ₹309

-14.46%

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

$4.75 ₹452

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.22 ₹20.95

295.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$3.21 ₹305

1585.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.51 ₹48.19

127.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.31 ₹29.42

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.06 ₹101

128.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.15 ₹110

26.09%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

90.02%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

54.68%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$35.23 ₹3,355

76.47%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.12 ₹392

195.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$7.98 ₹760

152.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$24.23 ₹2,307

53.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.21 ₹687

-47.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.95 ₹376

64.30%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$39.38 ₹3,750

1769.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$1,780 ₹169.5K

729.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$24.40 ₹2,323

118.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$38.08 ₹3,626

-35.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$53.2 ₹5,065

71.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$35.68 ₹3,398

101.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$156 ₹14.9K

208.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$109 ₹10.4K

183.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$352 ₹33.5K

185.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$271 ₹25.8K

134.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,185 ₹112.8K

99.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$530 ₹50.4K

199.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$354 ₹33.8K

66.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.7

-42.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Indore: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Indore

$109 25.6% 64.7% $200

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Indore

$102 24% 56.4% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Indore

$68 16% 37.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Indore

$47 11.1% 49.9% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Indore

$61 14.4% 20.8% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Indore

$6.1 1.4% 90% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Indore

$32 7.5% 36.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $156 in Indore. 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 66% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Indore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $102 – making Indore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Indore

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

20:35 8:35 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,272,335

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Indore 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Indore

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 Indore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 119% more than Indore, 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 $639 in Indore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Indore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $39 in Indore. 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $426 in Indore, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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 Indore. 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.