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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $950 per month in Chiang Mai vs $408 in Indore, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,430 per month in Chiang Mai vs $654 in Indore, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,909 per month in Chiang Mai vs $899 in Indore, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 133% more than Indore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Indore are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Indore 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ฿69.3

$2.12 ₹203

-0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.84 ฿656

$16.15 ₹1,543

22.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 ฿191

$3.11 ₹298

86.17%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ฿60.4

$1.41 ₹135

29.79%

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

$0.78 ฿25.61

$0.44 ₹42.08

77.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.37

$0.18 ₹17.62

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ฿77.2

$1.75 ₹168

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ฿122

$3.24 ₹310

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ฿67.1

$0.68 ₹65.0

198.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ฿52.7

$0.41 ₹39.12

290.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.75

$0.69 ₹66.0

105.80%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.96 ₹91.6

127.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 ฿526

$4.91 ₹470

224.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ฿102

$2.71 ₹259

13.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 ฿326

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 ฿86.8

$1.78 ₹170

47.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.19

$0.59 ₹56.5

86.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿53.8

$0.91 ₹86.8

79.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.6

$0.48 ₹45.60

218.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.13

$0.33 ₹31.06

275.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ฿37.37

$0.38 ₹36.24

197.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ฿24.38

$0.54 ₹51.6

37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.48

$0.31 ₹29.60

61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ฿141

$5.22 ₹499

-18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 ฿594

$7.51 ₹717

139.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿56.1

$1.86 ₹178

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿95.7

$3.22 ₹308

-9.94%

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

$4.83 ₹461

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 ฿31.13

$0.22 ₹21.02

327.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.3 ฿1,827

$5.35 ₹512

933.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.76

$0.55 ₹52.4

123.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.66

$0.31 ₹29.52

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ฿79.3

$1.04 ₹99.8

130.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.55

$1.15 ₹110

25.22%

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

$21.2K ฿700.2K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

35.35%

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

$27.3K ฿902.1K

$17.5K ₹1.7M

55.65%

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

$64.9 ฿2,145

$36.71 ₹3,507

76.87%

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

$13.35 ฿441

$4.03 ₹385

231.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.83 ฿688

$8.27 ₹790

151.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 ฿1,336

$24.30 ₹2,322

66.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 ฿131

$7.16 ₹684

-44.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿222

$3.98 ₹380

68.59%

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

$787 ฿26.0K

$38.97 ₹3,723

1919.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿499.6K

$1,763 ₹168.5K

757.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ฿1,858

$23.88 ₹2,282

135.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.95 ฿824

$38.39 ₹3,668

-35.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 ฿3,063

$54.0 ₹5,156

71.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 ฿2,482

$36.69 ₹3,505

104.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ฿16.0K

$160 ₹15.3K

202.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ฿9,491

$86.5 ₹8,264

232.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ฿30.1K

$346 ₹33.1K

162.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 ฿17.5K

$199 ₹19.0K

166.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 ฿65.4K

$1,301 ₹124.3K

52.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 ฿47.9K

$558 ₹53.4K

159.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 ฿20.0K

$357 ₹34.1K

69.36%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Indore: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in Chiang Mai versus $160 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 69% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Indore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $103 – making Indore 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 Indore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 133% more than Indore, 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 $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai and $612 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $787 per month in Chiang Mai and $38.97 in Indore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 136% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Indore, where all-in costs run around $408, than in Chiang Mai at $950. In Indore 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. Indore costs $408 versus $950 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 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.