Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mumbai (Bombay)

For one person, living is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay): $769 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Mumbai (Bombay)
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Mumbai (Bombay) Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Mumbai (Bombay)

🇮🇳 India

$769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $769 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Mumbai (Bombay) $769

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,281

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,793 in Mumbai (Bombay), rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Mumbai (Bombay) $1,793

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Mumbai (Bombay), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mumbai (Bombay) are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$5.29 ₹512

-59.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$21.16 ₹2,048

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$4.08 ₹394

34.07%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.61 ₹253

-35.63%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.36 ₹35.00

83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.13 ₹12.56

161.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$2.63 ₹255

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$4.12 ₹398

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.73 ₹70.5

182.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.50 ₹48.39

192.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$0.76 ₹73.6

77.63%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.00 ₹96.9

127.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$5.56 ₹538

193.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$3.60 ₹349

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$2.15 ₹208

11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$0.72 ₹69.8

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.24 ₹120

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$0.50 ₹48.21

188.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.34 ₹32.59

282.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.37 ₹35.51

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.44 ₹42.60

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.28 ₹26.87

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$5.08 ₹491

-18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$8.32 ₹805

113.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.94 ₹188

-15.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$3.07 ₹297

-6.51%

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

$6.16 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.22 ₹21.29

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$5.61 ₹543

847.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$0.31 ₹29.53

293.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.33 ₹31.47

69.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$1.54 ₹149

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.15 ₹111

30.43%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

32.61%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$21.8K ₹2.1M

22.49%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$60.7 ₹5,877

0.89%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$4.39 ₹425

184.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$8.80 ₹852

131.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$26.08 ₹2,525

45.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$13.19 ₹1,277

-71.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$4.49 ₹434

46.99%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$114 ₹11.0K

580.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$5,082 ₹491.9K

183.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$36.13 ₹3,497

51.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$39.96 ₹3,867

-36.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$54.5 ₹5,270

66.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$47.98 ₹4,644

52.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$598 ₹57.9K

-23.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$344 ₹33.3K

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$1,797 ₹173.9K

-48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$866 ₹83.8K

-36.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$5,811 ₹562.3K

-67.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$2,418 ₹234.0K

-40.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$768 ₹74.4K

-22.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.29

-32.81%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$344 44.9% 17.1% $50

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$116 15.1% 50.9% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$80 10.5% 26.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$74 9.6% 21.5% $20

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$109 14.2% 41.4% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$8.4 1.1% 86.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Mumbai (Bombay)

$35 4.6% 31.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $598 in Mumbai (Bombay). 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 30% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay). Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $116 in Mumbai (Bombay) – so Mumbai (Bombay) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Mumbai (Bombay)

🕒 Local time

17:40 5:40 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

12,442,373

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mumbai (Bombay) 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mumbai (Bombay)

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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Mumbai (Bombay), 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,153 in Mumbai (Bombay). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $114 in Mumbai (Bombay). For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% 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 Mumbai (Bombay), where all-in costs run around $769, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Mumbai (Bombay) 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. Mumbai (Bombay) costs $769 versus $906 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 Mumbai (Bombay). 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.