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 $869 per month in Chiang Mai vs $295 in Silchar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,362 per month in Chiang Mai vs $466 in Silchar, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,855 per month in Chiang Mai vs $638 in Silchar, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 195% more than Silchar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Silchar are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Silchar 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ฿64.3

$1.15 ₹109

72.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 ฿612

$7.97 ₹758

135.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ฿252

$4.91 ₹467

57.84%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿62.5

$0.62 ₹59.0

209.68%

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

$0.79 ฿25.79

$0.22 ₹20.81

259.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.62

$0.12 ₹11.66

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿72.1

$1.43 ₹136

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.07 ₹197

76.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿53.8

$0.75 ₹71.5

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.43 ₹40.92

279.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.86

$0.54 ₹51.2

120.37%

Eggs

$2.00 ฿65.1

$0.98 ₹93.1

104.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ฿520

$4.36 ₹415

266.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 ฿98.5

$3.19 ₹304

-5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 ฿354

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 ฿90.0

$1.84 ₹175

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ฿38.42

$0.75 ₹71.6

57.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.5

$0.91 ₹86.6

80.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.51

$0.78 ₹73.8

94.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿45.10

$0.31 ₹29.70

345.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.84

$0.35 ₹33.53

240.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿22.86

$0.33 ₹31.84

112.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.13

$0.28 ₹26.33

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 ฿149

$2.30 ₹219

99.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ฿539

$7.01 ₹666

136.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 ฿59.5

$1.55 ₹148

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ฿104

$2.19 ₹209

46.12%

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

$4.38 ₹416

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿28.56

$0.28 ₹26.38

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.72 ฿610

$5.96 ₹566

214.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿44.16

$0.81 ₹76.8

67.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.43 ₹136

448.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿39.92

$1.12 ₹106

9.82%

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

$21.6K ฿704.3K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

57.18%

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

$22.5K ฿734.3K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

27.23%

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

$70.5 ฿2,298

$17.46 ₹1,660

304.01%

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

$13.68 ฿445

$2.47 ₹235

453.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.45 ฿568

$5.44 ₹517

220.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 ฿1,346

$11.51 ₹1,095

259.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.20 ₹685

-3.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 ฿188

$2.95 ₹281

95.59%

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

$307 ฿10.0K

$17.62 ₹1,675

1642.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿475.9K

$1,929 ₹183.4K

657.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,817

$25.89 ₹2,462

115.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.21 ฿854

$36.02 ₹3,426

-27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,793

$47.03 ₹4,472

82.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ฿2,353

$42.98 ₹4,088

68.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 ฿14.0K

$59.3 ₹5,639

624.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,774

$35.39 ₹3,366

574.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 ฿26.6K

$118 ₹11.3K

590.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ฿16.6K

$69.0 ₹6,562

640.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,983 ฿64.6K

$586 ₹55.7K

238.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ฿48.3K

$530 ₹50.4K

179.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

$292 ₹27.7K

112.23%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Silchar: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Chiang Mai versus $59.3 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 112% 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: $241 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 195% 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 $1,303 per month in Chiang Mai and $442 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 $307 per month in Chiang Mai and $17.62 in Silchar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% 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 $869 in Chiang Mai and $295 in Silchar, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Silchar costs $295 versus $869 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.