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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $920 per month in Chiang Mai vs $366 in Solan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai vs $582 in Solan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,895 per month in Chiang Mai vs $797 in Solan, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 151% more than Solan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Solan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 33% lower, Solan 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ฿69.1

$1.28 ₹122

64.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.75 ฿648

$15.77 ₹1,509

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ฿192

$3.16 ₹303

85.13%

Cappuccino

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.96 ₹188

-10.20%

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

$0.74 ฿24.37

$0.30 ₹28.44

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿10.90

$0.10 ₹9.95

230.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ฿81.0

$2.13 ₹204

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ฿127

$2.56 ₹245

51.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ฿62.4

$0.41 ₹39.06

363.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ฿54.7

$0.56 ₹53.8

198.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.24

$0.44 ₹41.90

206.82%

Eggs

$2.14 ฿70.2

$0.74 ₹71.2

189.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.89 ฿521

$5.30 ₹508

199.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 ฿92.9

$2.34 ₹224

20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 ฿345

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ฿78.2

$1.92 ₹184

23.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.01

$0.79 ₹75.2

35.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.79

$0.53 ₹50.9

186.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿49.30

$0.46 ₹43.79

226.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿41.96

$0.30 ₹28.49

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿36.17

$0.40 ₹38.26

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.59 ₹56.0

16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.18

$0.30 ₹28.39

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.85 ₹273

49.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.78 ฿550

$7.21 ₹690

132.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$1.68 ₹161

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ฿92.3

$2.76 ₹264

1.81%

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

$5.36 ₹513

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.44

$0.27 ₹26.11

233.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,801

$6.38 ₹610

760.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 ฿39.24

$1.07 ₹102

12.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ฿17.78

$0.27 ₹25.89

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿77.9

$2.14 ₹204

10.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.88

$1.02 ₹97.3

40.20%

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

$21.1K ฿691.5K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

37.07%

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

$27.1K ฿890.2K

$24.5K ₹2.3M

10.69%

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

$64.7 ฿2,124

$38.46 ₹3,680

68.33%

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

$13.19 ฿433

$2.60 ₹248

407.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 ฿638

$7.48 ₹716

159.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 ฿1,294

$14.07 ₹1,347

180.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿124

$6.06 ₹580

-37.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 ฿217

$2.06 ₹197

221.36%

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

$805 ฿26.4K

$78.1 ₹7,475

930.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ฿496.1K

$1,587 ₹151.8K

853.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,796

$24.28 ₹2,324

125.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.43 ฿834

$23.95 ₹2,292

6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 ฿3,015

$45.89 ₹4,392

100.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ฿2,449

$27.31 ₹2,613

173.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 ฿15.3K

$104 ₹9,909

350.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ฿9,251

$74.6 ₹7,143

277.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.2K

$272 ₹26.0K

227.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.1K

$170 ₹16.2K

207.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,985 ฿65.1K

$877 ₹84.0K

126.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 ฿48.0K

$576 ₹55.2K

153.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.4K

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: August 17, 2026

Last update for Solan: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chiang Mai versus $104 in Solan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Solan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $97.0 – making Solan 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 Solan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 151% more than Solan, 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 $1,380 per month in Chiang Mai and $549 in Solan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $805 per month in Chiang Mai and $78.1 in Solan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 145% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Solan, where all-in costs run around $366, than in Chiang Mai at $920. In Solan 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. Solan costs $366 versus $920 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 Solan. 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.