Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Pune

For one person, living is cheaper in Pune: $567 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Pune
Learn more

Pune Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Pune

🇮🇳 India

$567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $567 in Pune, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Pune $567

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $919 in Pune, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Pune $919

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,271 in Pune, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Pune $1,271

Chiang Mai costs about 65% more than Pune, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Pune are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Pune 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$4.11 ₹391

-45.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$17.49 ₹1,666

8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$5.11 ₹486

8.61%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.13 ₹203

-21.60%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.49 ₹46.34

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.20 ₹18.80

55.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.90 ₹276

-18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.26 ₹406

-14.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.77 ₹73.1

153.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.56 ₹53.6

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.76 ₹72.8

75.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.05 ₹100

117.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.06 ₹577

171.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.32 ₹316

-16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.85 ₹271

-17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.69 ₹65.8

40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.80 ₹171

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.46 ₹43.55

226.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.41 ₹39.34

212.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.47 ₹44.66

134.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.59 ₹55.9

20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.31 ₹29.23

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.97 ₹473

-16.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$6.47 ₹616

170.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.18 ₹207

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.94 ₹280

-5.44%

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

$5.56 ₹530

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.44 ₹41.93

97.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$15.79 ₹1,504

242.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.44 ₹41.96

163.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.25 ₹23.66

112.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.15 ₹205

12.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.14 ₹109

27.19%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

70.33%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$20.3K ₹1.9M

32.44%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$40.34 ₹3,841

54.12%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.78 ₹360

221.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$7.98 ₹760

152.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$20.10 ₹1,914

85.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.94 ₹661

-45.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.15 ₹490

26.02%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$126 ₹12.0K

485.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,376 ₹226.2K

521.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$29.00 ₹2,761

84.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$26.95 ₹2,566

-8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$49.95 ₹4,756

83.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$37.44 ₹3,565

92.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$246 ₹23.4K

96.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$180 ₹17.2K

71.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$654 ₹62.2K

53.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$417 ₹39.7K

51.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,147 ₹204.4K

10.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,051 ₹100.0K

51.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,210 ₹115.2K

-51.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.73

-36.20%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pune: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Pune

$180 31.8% 41.7% $129

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Pune

$121 21.4% 48.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Pune

$65 11.4% 40.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Pune

$52 9.2% 44.8% $42

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Pune

$100 17.6% 28.3% $22

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Pune

$19 3.4% 68.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Pune

$30 5.4% 39.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $246 in Pune. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Pune are about 2.1 times higher, 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 in Chiang Mai versus $17 in Pune. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $121 – making Pune the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Pune

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,115,431

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Pune 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Pune

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 Pune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 65% more than Pune, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $851 in Pune. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pune, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $126 in Pune. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $567 in Pune, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Pune costs $567 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Pune is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.