Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mohali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mohali: $431 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Mohali
Learn more

Mohali Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Mohali

🇮🇳 India

$431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $431 in Mohali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Mohali $431

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $714 in Mohali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Mohali $714

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $997 in Mohali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Mohali $997

Chiang Mai costs about 115% more than Mohali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mohali are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Mohali 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.12 ₹296

-26.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$13.67 ₹1,298

43.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.83 ₹364

46.48%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.28 ₹217

-27.19%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.38 ₹35.85

84.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.20 ₹18.60

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.14 ₹204

12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.18 ₹302

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.73 ₹69.4

167.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.55 ₹52.4

156.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.78 ₹73.9

67.95%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.99 ₹93.8

120.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$4.51 ₹428

269.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.45 ₹327

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.94 ₹184

23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.79 ₹75.0

30.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.08 ₹103

50.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.67 ₹63.4

123.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.28 ₹26.31

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.40 ₹38.31

177.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.65 ₹61.3

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.32 ₹30.51

65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.91 ₹467

-12.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.47 ₹804

111.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.69 ₹160

-6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.77 ₹263

2.53%

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

$6.26 ₹595

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.54 ₹51.4

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$5.14 ₹488

936.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.07 ₹101

13.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.27 ₹25.91

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.53 ₹146

53.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.07 ₹102

34.58%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

87.32%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$20.7K ₹2.0M

29.63%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$41.84 ₹3,973

48.97%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.93 ₹373

208.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.62 ₹629

201.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$28.56 ₹2,712

29.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$20.84 ₹1,979

-81.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.11 ₹295

109.00%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$58.3 ₹5,538

1259.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$2,230 ₹211.7K

564.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$24.34 ₹2,312

120.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$28.68 ₹2,724

-14.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$57.6 ₹5,466

57.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$43.87 ₹4,166

62.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$123 ₹11.7K

269.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$69.2 ₹6,572

330.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$335 ₹31.8K

171.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$204 ₹19.3K

172.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$809 ₹76.8K

138.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$429 ₹40.8K

236.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$452 ₹42.9K

30.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mohali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Mohali

$69 16.1% 76.8% $229

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Mohali

$112 26% 52.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Mohali

$70 16.1% 35.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Mohali

$52 12.2% 44.5% $42

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Mohali

$83 19.3% 5.9% $4.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mohali

$9.7 2.3% 84% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mohali

$35 8.1% 30.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $123 in Mohali. 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 31% 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 $14.00 in Mohali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $112 – making Mohali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Mohali

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

05:10 5:10 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

146,213

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Mohali 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mohali

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 Mohali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 115% more than Mohali, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $646 in Mohali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $58.3 in Mohali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mohali, where all-in costs run around $431, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Mohali 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. Mohali costs $431 versus $925 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 Mohali. 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.