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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $823 in Surat, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $851 in Surat, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $879 in Surat, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Surat are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Surat 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$3.09 ₹296

-32.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$10.42 ₹1,000

88.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.11 ₹298

82.32%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.85 ₹178

-2.16%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.37 ₹35.15

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.16 ₹15.30

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$2.95 ₹283

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.12 ₹299

21.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.70 ₹66.7

192.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.50 ₹47.92

202.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.67 ₹64.0

108.96%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.97 ₹93.0

132.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.39 ₹421

268.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.71 ₹260

7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.67 ₹160

60.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.58 ₹55.5

87.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.78 ₹74.7

107.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.58 ₹55.3

151.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.34 ₹33.07

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.40 ₹38.33

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.45 ₹42.89

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.32 ₹31.10

65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.99 ₹479

-15.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$7.43 ₹712

146.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.83 ₹175

-10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.97 ₹285

-2.36%

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

$6.01 ₹577

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.22 ₹20.97

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$5.25 ₹504

924.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.54 ₹52.1

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.20 ₹19.14

190.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.07 ₹102

123.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.13 ₹108

28.32%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$11.9K ₹1.1M

76.81%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

43.28%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$37.16 ₹3,566

71.29%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.67 ₹352

251.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$7.39 ₹709

177.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$18.59 ₹1,783

109.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$5.29 ₹507

-25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.80 ₹269

135.00%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$32.56 ₹3,124

2307.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$861 ₹82.6K

1603.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$22.53 ₹2,162

144.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$24.73 ₹2,373

0.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$40.68 ₹3,903

131.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$33.29 ₹3,194

122.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$221 ₹21.2K

122.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$496 ₹47.6K

-41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$384 ₹36.8K

132.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$199 ₹19.1K

162.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$660 ₹63.3K

198.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$307 ₹29.4K

370.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$313 ₹30.1K

91.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.17

-39.26%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Surat: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $221 in Surat. 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 92% 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 $10.00 in Surat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $100 – making Surat 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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 13% more than Surat, 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 $1,234 in Surat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surat, 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 $32.56 in Surat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% 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 Surat, where all-in costs run around $823, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Surat 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. Surat costs $823 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 Surat. 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.