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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $298 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $481 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $664 in Kollam, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 189% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Kollam 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$1.19 ₹114

64.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$6.86 ₹661

167.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.10 ₹395

82.44%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.30 ₹125

55.38%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.40 ₹38.58

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.13 ₹12.80

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.78 ₹172

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.93 ₹282

22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.63 ₹60.6

161.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.44 ₹42.31

256.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.48 ₹46.41

147.92%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.87 ₹83.4

122.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$5.28 ₹509

206.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.25 ₹217

32.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.16 ₹208

25.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.63 ₹60.2

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.74 ₹71.0

128.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.45 ₹43.31

255.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.49 ₹47.02

181.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.36 ₹34.93

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.42 ₹40.62

59.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.30 ₹28.58

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.55 ₹342

30.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$2.62 ₹253

572.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.28 ₹220

-18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.82 ₹272

17.02%

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

$4.48 ₹431

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.11 ₹10.14

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$8.08 ₹778

139.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$1.14 ₹110

19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.32 ₹30.97

318.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.61 ₹155

409.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.17 ₹113

4.27%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

86.84%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

40.98%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$27.57 ₹2,654

156.33%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.41 ₹328

311.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$5.86 ₹564

198.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$12.04 ₹1,159

250.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$14.35 ₹1,382

-52.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$1.76 ₹169

236.36%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$23.47 ₹2,260

1214.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$1,548 ₹149.1K

860.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$18.58 ₹1,789

200.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$19.42 ₹1,870

34.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$28.25 ₹2,719

193.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$27.39 ₹2,637

157.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$92.9 ₹8,942

365.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$52.4 ₹5,042

356.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$203 ₹19.5K

304.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$129 ₹12.4K

296.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$836 ₹80.4K

129.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$458 ₹44.1K

220.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$527 ₹50.7K

10.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.97

-44.26%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kollam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $92.9 in Kollam. 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 10% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $93.0 – making Kollam 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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 189% more than Kollam, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $448 in Kollam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $23.47 in Kollam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 163% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $298 in Kollam, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kollam costs $298 versus $861 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 Kollam. 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.