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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $495 in Nellore, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $755 in Nellore, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,016 in Nellore, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 88% more than Nellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Nellore are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Nellore 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.60 ₹154

30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$8.70 ₹834

125.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$4.47 ₹429

26.85%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.04 ₹195

-11.27%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.27 ₹25.57

185.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.15 ₹14.11

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.79 ₹171

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.19 ₹210

73.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.72 ₹69.1

184.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.48 ₹45.91

214.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.53 ₹50.6

164.15%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.77 ₹73.8

193.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$6.24 ₹598

159.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.56 ₹246

13.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.65 ₹158

62.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.73 ₹70.3

49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.64 ₹61.8

153.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.36 ₹34.68

305.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.37 ₹35.06

245.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.39 ₹37.54

171.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.60 ₹57.6

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.30 ₹28.98

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$5.10 ₹489

-17.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$7.11 ₹683

157.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.92 ₹185

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$3.04 ₹292

-4.61%

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

$3.40 ₹326

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.20 ₹19.17

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.01 ₹97.2

15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.46 ₹44.20

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$2.06 ₹198

16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.11 ₹106

30.63%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$15.5K ₹1.5M

35.25%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

52.13%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$31.73 ₹3,044

100.60%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.14 ₹302

310.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.43 ₹616

219.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$13.77 ₹1,321

183.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$1.06 ₹101

269.81%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.14 ₹205

207.48%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$34.90 ₹3,349

2146.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,402 ₹134.5K

946.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$17.51 ₹1,680

214.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$18.30 ₹1,756

35.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$29.52 ₹2,832

218.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$36.00 ₹3,454

105.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$233 ₹22.4K

110.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$213 ₹20.4K

35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$447 ₹42.8K

99.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$422 ₹40.5K

23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$666 ₹63.9K

196.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$441 ₹42.3K

227.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$540 ₹51.8K

11.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Nellore: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $233 in Nellore. 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 12% 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 $9.00 in Nellore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $104 – making Nellore 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 Nellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 88% more than Nellore, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $742 in Nellore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $9.00 in Nellore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nellore, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Nellore 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. Nellore costs $495 versus $932 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 Nellore. 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.