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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $428 in Meerut, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,354 per month in Chiang Mai vs $662 in Meerut, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Chiang Mai vs $895 in Meerut, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 99% more than Meerut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Meerut are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Meerut 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.0

$3.41 ₹324

-42.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.81 ฿615

$14.01 ₹1,330

34.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 ฿259

$3.56 ₹338

122.47%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ฿62.6

$2.66 ₹253

-28.20%

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

$0.84 ฿27.41

$0.40 ₹38.36

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.51

$0.18 ₹16.71

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.73 ₹164

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿124

$2.29 ₹217

65.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.76 ₹72.2

115.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ฿53.1

$0.51 ₹48.56

217.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.62

$0.80 ₹76.1

47.50%

Eggs

$2.01 ฿65.8

$1.01 ₹96.0

99.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿520

$4.01 ₹381

296.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ฿98.5

$2.37 ₹225

27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 ฿352

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 ฿85.5

$1.40 ₹132

86.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿39.88

$0.70 ₹66.5

74.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.7

$0.68 ₹64.2

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 ฿51.5

$0.78 ₹74.2

102.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 ฿43.14

$0.43 ₹40.68

206.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.23

$0.38 ₹36.36

207.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿21.98

$0.42 ₹40.03

59.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.32

$0.33 ₹30.86

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 ฿148

$4.14 ₹393

9.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 ฿595

$10.19 ₹967

78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿60.0

$1.52 ₹145

20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.34 ₹222

38.03%

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

$3.99 ₹379

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 ฿29.00

$0.36 ₹34.24

147.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.06 ₹671

174.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ฿44.20

$0.79 ₹75.2

70.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 ฿44.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 ฿270

$1.18 ₹112

599.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.64

$1.21 ₹115

4.96%

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

$21.2K ฿691.8K

$9,184 ₹871.9K

130.36%

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

$22.5K ฿735.3K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

63.22%

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

$70.2 ฿2,294

$46.89 ₹4,452

49.61%

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

$13.77 ฿450

$3.42 ₹325

302.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.60 ฿575

$5.86 ₹556

200.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.57 ฿1,360

$12.29 ₹1,166

238.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.60 ฿216

$12.88 ₹1,223

-48.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.78 ฿189

$4.10 ₹389

40.98%

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

$306 ฿10.0K

$35.32 ₹3,353

766.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿484.8K

$1,387 ₹131.6K

969.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ฿1,778

$27.27 ₹2,589

99.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.14 ฿855

$24.35 ₹2,311

7.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ฿2,764

$45.60 ₹4,330

85.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 ฿2,270

$31.82 ₹3,021

118.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 ฿13.9K

$165 ₹15.6K

157.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ฿7,788

$103 ₹9,820

130.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ฿27.0K

$785 ₹74.5K

5.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$195 ₹18.5K

164.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

$673 ₹63.9K

204.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

$242 ₹22.9K

530.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$635 ฿20.8K

$461 ₹43.8K

37.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.73

-42.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Last update for Meerut: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $424 in Chiang Mai versus $165 in Meerut. 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 38% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Meerut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $102 – making Meerut 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 Meerut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 99% more than Meerut, 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 $1,278 per month in Chiang Mai and $642 in Meerut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Chiang Mai and $35.32 in Meerut. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% 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 $852 in Chiang Mai and $428 in Meerut, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Meerut costs $428 versus $852 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 Meerut. 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.