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 $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $296 in Siliguri, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $489 in Siliguri, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $681 in Siliguri, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 215% more than Siliguri, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Siliguri are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Siliguri 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.88 ₹181

10.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$14.29 ₹1,371

37.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$6.45 ₹618

-12.09%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.38 ₹132

31.16%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.35 ₹34.04

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.16 ₹15.07

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.42 ₹136

55.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.12 ₹203

78.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.59 ₹56.7

247.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.27 ₹25.65

459.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.55 ₹52.7

154.55%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.73 ₹70.5

209.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.32 ₹415

274.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.12 ₹203

36.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.69 ₹162

58.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.64 ₹61.1

70.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.89 ₹85.5

82.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.33 ₹32.10

342.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.21 ₹20.13

509.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.35 ₹33.89

202.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.34 ₹32.37

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.29 ₹27.76

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$3.64 ₹349

16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$4.24 ₹407

331.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.40 ₹134

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$3.11 ₹299

-6.75%

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

$7.44 ₹713

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.22 ₹21.11

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$7.36 ₹707

630.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$1.01 ₹97.4

15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.10 ₹9.34

480.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.43 ₹137

67.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.06 ₹102

36.79%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

66.30%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$19.5K ₹1.9M

35.35%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$35.35 ₹3,392

80.06%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$2.88 ₹277

347.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.08 ₹583

237.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$5.76 ₹553

577.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$5.13 ₹492

-23.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.07 ₹295

114.33%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$29.15 ₹2,797

2589.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,639 ₹157.2K

795.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$23.28 ₹2,233

136.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$13.99 ₹1,343

76.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$32.09 ₹3,079

193.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$29.76 ₹2,855

148.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$137 ₹13.1K

258.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$45.10 ₹4,327

539.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$322 ₹30.9K

176.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$126 ₹12.1K

314.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$751 ₹72.0K

162.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$409 ₹39.2K

253.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$372 ₹35.7K

61.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.03

-44.47%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Siliguri: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $137 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $14.00 in Siliguri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $83.0 – 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 215% 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $445 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 $784 per month in Chiang Mai and $29.15 in Siliguri. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 192% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Siliguri, where all-in costs run around $296, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Siliguri 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. Siliguri costs $296 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 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.