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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $353 in Shivamogga, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $571 in Shivamogga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $790 in Shivamogga, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 164% more than Shivamogga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Shivamogga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Shivamogga 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.1

$2.66 ₹254

-21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿651

$13.32 ₹1,273

47.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿188

$4.68 ₹447

21.15%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.9

$1.20 ₹114

50.83%

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

$0.77 ฿25.51

$0.36 ₹34.05

113.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.46

$0.18 ₹17.61

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.14 ₹108

93.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿126

$2.59 ₹248

46.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.0

$0.49 ₹47.23

318.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.3

$0.41 ₹39.30

268.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.44

$0.66 ₹62.7

112.12%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.0

$0.88 ₹84.2

156.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿538

$3.90 ₹372

315.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.2

$2.83 ₹270

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿88.9

$1.68 ₹161

59.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.18

$0.62 ₹58.8

75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.7

$0.46 ₹43.66

252.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.48

$0.38 ₹36.43

284.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.42

$0.30 ₹28.50

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.12

$0.39 ₹36.95

171.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.81

$0.20 ₹19.06

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.46

$0.30 ₹29.02

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿140

$5.04 ₹482

-16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿607

$6.81 ₹650

168.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.1

$0.89 ₹85.1

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.78 ₹266

4.32%

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

$4.86 ₹464

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.16

$0.14 ₹13.35

528.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿38.93

$1.02 ₹97.2

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.20

$0.31 ₹29.17

87.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$1.45 ₹138

64.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.15

$1.10 ₹105

31.82%

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

$21.0K ฿697.6K

$12.3K ₹1.2M

70.35%

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

$26.4K ฿877.3K

$29.5K ₹2.8M

-10.33%

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

$63.7 ฿2,113

$21.23 ₹2,029

199.81%

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

$12.89 ฿428

$2.47 ₹236

421.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿681

$7.71 ₹736

166.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,295

$7.51 ₹717

419.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿130

$2.14 ₹205

83.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿218

$2.28 ₹218

188.60%

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

$784 ฿26.0K

$110 ₹10.5K

613.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿487.1K

$1,704 ₹162.8K

761.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,830

$32.68 ₹3,122

68.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿821

$34.57 ₹3,303

-28.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,125

$58.0 ₹5,540

62.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,455

$27.38 ₹2,616

170.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.3K

$159 ₹15.2K

208.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,568

$81.6 ₹7,793

253.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.6K

$317 ₹30.3K

181.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.3K

$192 ₹18.3K

171.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.0K

$340 ₹32.4K

77.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.12

-38.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Shivamogga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $159 in Shivamogga. 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 77% 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 $13.00 in Shivamogga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $87.0 – making Shivamogga 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 Shivamogga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 164% more than Shivamogga, 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 $529 in Shivamogga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shivamogga, 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 $13.00 in Shivamogga. 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 Shivamogga, where all-in costs run around $353, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Shivamogga 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. Shivamogga costs $353 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 Shivamogga. 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.