Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Thanjavur

For one person, living is cheaper in Thanjavur: $369 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Thanjavur
Learn more

Thanjavur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Thanjavur

🇮🇳 India

$369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Thanjavur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $369 in Thanjavur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Thanjavur $369

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $579 in Thanjavur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Thanjavur $579

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $789 in Thanjavur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Thanjavur $789

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

Both Chiang Mai and Thanjavur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Thanjavur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.88 ₹178

19.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$6.60 ₹627

187.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.15 ₹394

33.73%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.81 ₹171

-7.73%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.37 ₹34.86

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.17 ₹16.06

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$0.76 ₹72.5

210.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.08 ₹292

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.55 ₹52.6

254.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.51 ₹48.82

182.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.60 ₹57.1

121.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.60 ₹57.3

280.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.25 ₹593

163.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.15 ₹204

29.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.80 ₹265

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.82 ₹78.0

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.45 ₹138

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.42 ₹39.94

257.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.44 ₹42.14

190.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.40 ₹37.80

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.54 ₹50.9

31.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.30 ₹28.62

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$3.39 ₹322

22.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$7.25 ₹689

141.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.32 ₹126

21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.81 ₹267

-1.07%

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

$6.52 ₹619

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.20 ₹19.38

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$7.29 ₹692

641.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.02 ₹96.8

13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.31 ₹29.30

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.11 ₹201

14.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.09 ₹104

33.03%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

84.83%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$20.4K ₹1.9M

31.88%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$38.70 ₹3,675

60.65%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.93 ₹373

209.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$7.95 ₹755

153.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$14.45 ₹1,372

158.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.73 ₹639

-43.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.31 ₹220

180.95%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$86.5 ₹8,208

751.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$2,160 ₹205.1K

583.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$20.45 ₹1,942

160.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.83 ₹1,598

46.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$35.36 ₹3,357

158.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$26.20 ₹2,488

174.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$122 ₹11.6K

294.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$76.2 ₹7,233

305.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$262 ₹24.9K

284.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$184 ₹17.5K

243.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$823 ₹78.2K

186.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$605 ₹57.4K

162.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$209 ₹19.8K

182.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.99

-44.24%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Thanjavur

$76 20.7% 75.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Thanjavur

$106 28.9% 54.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Thanjavur

$44 12.1% 59.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Thanjavur

$51 13.7% 46.5% $44

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Thanjavur

$61 16.6% 21% $16

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Thanjavur

$11 2.9% 82.6% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Thanjavur

$19 5.2% 62.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $122 in Thanjavur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $7 in Thanjavur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $106 – making Thanjavur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Thanjavur

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

223,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Thanjavur 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Thanjavur

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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 154% more than Thanjavur, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $553 in Thanjavur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thanjavur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $122 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $86 in Thanjavur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Thanjavur, where all-in costs run around $369, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Thanjavur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thanjavur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Thanjavur. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.