Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Solan

For one person, living is cheaper in Solan: $369 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Solan
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Solan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Solan

🇮🇳 India

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Solan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Solan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $369 in Solan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Solan $369

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $587 in Solan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Solan $587

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $805 in Solan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Solan $805

Chiang Mai costs about 154% more than Solan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Solan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Solan 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.27 ₹121

77.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$15.77 ₹1,498

21.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.21 ₹305

74.14%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.98 ₹188

-13.13%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.32 ₹30.71

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.09 ₹8.40

266.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.14 ₹203

10.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.58 ₹245

51.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.44 ₹41.75

365.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.54 ₹50.8

159.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.41 ₹38.60

212.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.68 ₹64.7

230.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.12 ₹486

230.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.37 ₹225

15.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.93 ₹184

24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.77 ₹72.9

31.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.54 ₹51.5

198.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.49 ₹46.58

210.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.30 ₹28.34

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.40 ₹37.94

177.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.64 ₹60.5

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.30 ₹28.04

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$2.75 ₹261

57.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.24 ₹687

144.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.72 ₹164

-5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.64 ₹251

7.95%

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

$5.44 ₹516

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.27 ₹25.87

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$8.31 ₹789

548.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.02 ₹96.8

14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.25 ₹23.62

128.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.13 ₹202

11.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.94 ₹89.0

54.26%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

28.73%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$23.9K ₹2.3M

11.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$37.62 ₹3,572

65.68%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$2.57 ₹244

377.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$7.51 ₹713

165.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$14.33 ₹1,360

164.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.21 ₹589

-39.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.05 ₹195

227.32%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$95.6 ₹9,080

733.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,716 ₹163.0K

764.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$20.45 ₹1,942

160.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$23.89 ₹2,268

4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$47.10 ₹4,472

94.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$25.83 ₹2,453

184.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$138 ₹13.1K

235.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$81.0 ₹7,687

276.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$281 ₹26.7K

225.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$170 ₹16.1K

225.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$854 ₹81.1K

123.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$564 ₹53.6K

154.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Solan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Solan

$81 21.9% 73.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Solan

$96 26.1% 59.5% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Solan

$53 14.3% 51.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Solan

$48 12.9% 49.6% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Solan

$61 16.6% 22.7% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Solan

$12 3.2% 81% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Solan

$18 5% 64.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $138 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $16.00 in Solan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $96.0 – making Solan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Solan

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,256

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.63 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Solan 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Solan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 154% more than Solan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $553 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 $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $95.6 in Solan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 147% 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 $369, than in Chiang Mai at $938. 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 $369 versus $938 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.