Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
Learn more

Shillong Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $402 in Shillong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Shillong $402

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $638 in Shillong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Shillong $638

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $874 in Shillong, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Shillong $874

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Shillong are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Shillong 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.3

$3.35 ₹318

-32.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$11.44 ₹1,086

67.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.81 ₹457

16.22%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.66 ₹157

3.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.41 ₹38.89

56.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.17

$0.15 ₹13.94

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.22 ₹116

93.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.49 ₹331

11.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.61 ₹57.9

236.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.68

$0.31 ₹29.07

351.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.87

$0.58 ₹55.4

120.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$0.92 ₹86.9

144.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$3.86 ₹366

338.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.43 ₹231

12.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.16 ₹205

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.90

$0.68 ₹64.4

48.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.93 ₹88.4

73.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.52 ₹49.22

192.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.87

$0.31 ₹29.25

312.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.20

$0.35 ₹32.78

217.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.22 ₹20.91

227.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.53

$0.25 ₹23.68

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.11 ₹485

-15.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿592

$4.83 ₹458

267.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.28 ₹121

27.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.97 ₹187

44.67%

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

$4.78 ₹454

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,800

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.15

$0.74 ₹70.3

58.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.28 ₹26.52

103.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.1

$1.29 ₹123

83.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.29

$1.09 ₹104

33.03%

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

$20.5K ฿683.9K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

62.14%

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

$26.5K ฿885.5K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

65.19%

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

$62.3 ฿2,082

$34.74 ₹3,299

79.42%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.29 ₹313

272.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿667

$6.12 ₹581

226.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,266

$9.99 ₹948

279.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿125

$5.11 ₹486

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.10 ₹294

116.45%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$27.65 ₹2,626

2782.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.4K

$1,164 ₹110.5K

1174.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,779

$17.41 ₹1,653

205.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$22.11 ₹2,100

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,060

$36.74 ₹3,489

149.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,454

$27.45 ₹2,606

167.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$210 ₹19.9K

121.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$131 ₹12.4K

133.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$727 ₹69.0K

25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.4K

$284 ₹27.0K

94.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$442 ₹41.9K

34.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 57.1% $174

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 64.1% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 57.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Shillong

$44 11% 53.3% $50

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Shillong

$76 19% 3.3% $2.6

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 96.5% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Shillong

$16 4% 68.5% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $210 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 35% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Shillong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $86.0 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

09:44 9:44 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

143,000

💱 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 = 9.35 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.4 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Shillong 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Shillong, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $603 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $11.00 in Shillong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 178% 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 Shillong, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Shillong 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. Shillong costs $402 versus $938 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.