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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $351 in Siliguri, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $566 in Siliguri, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $780 in Siliguri, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 143% more than Siliguri, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Siliguri are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Siliguri 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.2

$2.98 ₹284

-31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿624

$13.87 ₹1,322

34.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$6.49 ₹619

21.11%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.7

$1.57 ₹150

29.30%

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

$0.80 ฿26.64

$0.40 ₹38.58

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.68

$0.21 ₹20.44

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.5

$1.48 ₹141

44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$2.28 ₹218

60.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.6

$0.55 ₹52.6

214.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.29 ₹27.28

441.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿39.99

$0.56 ₹53.6

114.29%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.8

$0.89 ₹84.8

121.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿541

$5.25 ₹501

209.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$2.23 ₹212

37.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿360

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.3

$2.06 ₹196

34.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.94

$0.83 ₹78.8

40.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$1.06 ₹101

61.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.47 ₹44.46

238.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.51

$0.25 ₹23.90

456.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.56

$0.41 ₹39.52

182.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.05

$0.38 ₹36.10

73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.31

$0.33 ₹31.16

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$3.41 ₹326

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿593

$4.15 ₹396

328.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.6

$1.39 ₹132

28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿111

$3.56 ₹340

-6.18%

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

$7.58 ₹723

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.27

$0.22 ₹20.91

313.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿622

$8.88 ₹847

109.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.04

$1.47 ₹140

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿270

$1.37 ₹131

491.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.16

$1.18 ₹113

4.24%

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

$21.4K ฿715.1K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

72.73%

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

$21.8K ฿728.0K

$22.9K ₹2.2M

-4.67%

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

$71.3 ฿2,379

$37.26 ₹3,554

91.44%

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

$14.01 ฿467

$3.11 ₹297

350.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿598

$7.62 ₹726

135.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,362

$6.61 ₹630

517.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$5.03 ₹479

36.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.21 ₹211

158.82%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$40.41 ₹3,854

662.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.7K

$1,981 ₹188.9K

640.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,860

$28.52 ₹2,720

95.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿869

$11.19 ₹1,067

132.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,829

$41.35 ₹3,944

105.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,368

$36.24 ₹3,457

95.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$163 ₹15.6K

159.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,088

$53.2 ₹5,076

355.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$389 ₹37.1K

104.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$141 ₹13.5K

259.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.0K

$742 ₹70.8K

158.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.8K

$420 ₹40.1K

248.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$368 ₹35.1K

61.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.7

-48.45%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Siliguri: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $163 in Siliguri. 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 62% 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 $14.00 in Siliguri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $92.0 – making Siliguri 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 Siliguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 143% more than Siliguri, 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 $527 in Siliguri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siliguri, 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 $40.41 in Siliguri. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 165% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $351 in Siliguri, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Siliguri costs $351 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 Siliguri. 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.