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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $304 in Silchar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $478 in Silchar, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $652 in Silchar, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 181% more than Silchar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Silchar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Silchar 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$1.13 ₹108

80.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$8.38 ₹799

123.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$4.89 ₹467

60.74%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$0.65 ₹62.1

212.31%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.24 ₹22.99

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.13 ₹12.33

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.43 ₹137

49.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.10 ₹201

74.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.73 ₹70.0

136.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.47 ₹44.48

234.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.53 ₹51.0

126.42%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.99 ₹94.1

98.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$4.58 ₹437

254.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.17 ₹302

-3.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$1.89 ₹180

46.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.70 ₹67.1

67.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.96 ₹91.7

78.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.75 ₹72.0

112.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.29 ₹27.61

379.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.38 ₹36.57

205.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.33 ₹31.92

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.28 ₹26.29

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$2.27 ₹216

104.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$7.02 ₹669

153.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.48 ₹142

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$2.25 ₹215

48.44%

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

$4.35 ₹415

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.30 ₹28.91

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$5.85 ₹558

218.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$0.75 ₹71.1

88.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.47 ₹140

451.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.18 ₹112

4.24%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

55.26%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$18.2K ₹1.7M

19.89%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$17.33 ₹1,652

311.60%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$2.45 ₹234

471.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$5.44 ₹519

229.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$11.75 ₹1,121

247.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$6.85 ₹654

0.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.99 ₹285

91.30%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$17.79 ₹1,696

1632.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,935 ₹184.5K

658.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$25.83 ₹2,463

115.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$35.09 ₹3,347

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$45.52 ₹4,341

86.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$43.88 ₹4,184

61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$58.0 ₹5,532

629.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$34.97 ₹3,335

593.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$117 ₹11.1K

583.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$70.0 ₹6,673

624.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$565 ₹53.9K

239.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$519 ₹49.5K

181.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$282 ₹26.9K

111.06%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Silchar: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $58.0 in Silchar. 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 111% 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 $8.00 in Silchar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $101 – making Silchar 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 Silchar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 181% more than Silchar, 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $456 in Silchar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $17.79 in Silchar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 141% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $304 in Silchar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Silchar costs $304 versus $852 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 Silchar. 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.