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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $443 in Shillong, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $684 in Shillong, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $924 in Shillong, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Shillong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Shillong are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Shillong 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.7

$1.43 ₹138

37.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿616

$10.30 ₹992

78.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿251

$4.71 ₹454

58.81%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.22 ₹118

65.57%

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

$0.85 ฿28.45

$0.36 ₹34.74

136.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.94

$0.14 ₹13.19

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.43 ₹138

49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.28 ₹316

9.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$0.61 ₹58.7

170.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$0.36 ₹35.09

336.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.95

$0.52 ₹50.1

128.85%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.0

$0.82 ₹79.2

136.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$4.43 ₹427

265.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿100

$3.31 ₹319

-9.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿367

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.0

$1.93 ₹186

40.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.75 ₹71.8

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$0.97 ₹93.5

74.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.55 ₹53.3

190.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$0.29 ₹27.52

375.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.38

$0.36 ₹34.64

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.46

$0.37 ₹35.51

81.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.70

$0.18 ₹17.51

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.13 ₹398

12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿591

$4.75 ₹457

270.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.4

$1.49 ₹143

24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.78 ₹267

18.71%

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

$4.36 ₹419

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

$0.30 ₹29.21

193.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

$8.48 ₹816

128.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$0.80 ₹77.1

70.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.43 ₹138

474.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.11

$1.19 ₹115

2.52%

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

$21.4K ฿716.8K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

55.86%

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

$22.5K ฿756.3K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

27.00%

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

$70.7 ฿2,372

$40.08 ₹3,859

76.32%

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

$14.04 ฿471

$3.44 ₹331

308.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿587

$5.68 ₹547

207.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,415

$4.53 ₹436

830.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$5.89 ₹567

16.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.87 ₹276

106.27%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$32.21 ₹3,101

857.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿499.5K

$1,919 ₹184.8K

675.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,872

$25.14 ₹2,420

121.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿877

$35.50 ₹3,418

-26.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,787

$46.95 ₹4,520

76.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,365

$42.64 ₹4,105

65.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$253 ₹24.4K

70.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,020

$156 ₹15.0K

52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.6K

$464 ₹44.7K

77.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$318 ₹30.6K

61.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

$441 ₹42.5K

31.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

-32.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shillong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $253 in Shillong. 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Shillong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $93.0 – making Shillong 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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 94% more than Shillong, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $664 in Shillong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $32.21 in Shillong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 160% 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $443 in Shillong, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shillong costs $443 versus $861 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 Shillong. 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.