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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $416 in Thrissur, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $613 in Thrissur, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $811 in Thrissur, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 107% more than Thrissur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Thrissur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Thrissur 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$1.44 ₹139

36.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$8.78 ₹845

109.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.75 ₹458

57.47%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.31 ₹126

54.20%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.43 ₹41.29

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.20 ₹19.58

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$2.39 ₹230

-10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$4.25 ₹409

-15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.69 ₹66.5

139.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.58 ₹55.6

170.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.55 ₹53.0

116.36%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.86 ₹83.2

125.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$3.59 ₹346

350.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.41 ₹328

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.23 ₹215

21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.80 ₹77.4

46.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.45 ₹139

16.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.43 ₹41.76

272.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.45 ₹43.07

206.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.43 ₹41.71

179.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.99 ₹95.4

-32.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.33 ₹32.16

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.58 ₹441

1.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$3.12 ₹300

464.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.35 ₹226

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.29 ₹413

-23.08%

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

$4.19 ₹403

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.24 ₹23.23

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$3.55 ₹342

444.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.95 ₹91.1

43.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.18 ₹114

595.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.26 ₹121

-3.17%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

67.72%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$19.6K ₹1.9M

14.66%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$83.4 ₹8,026

-15.23%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.25 ₹313

332.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$7.34 ₹706

138.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$10.39 ₹1,000

305.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$11.93 ₹1,149

-42.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.37 ₹228

149.79%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$65.5 ₹6,301

371.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$1,287 ₹123.9K

1056.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$19.83 ₹1,909

181.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$14.15 ₹1,362

84.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$34.10 ₹3,283

143.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$28.12 ₹2,707

150.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$126 ₹12.1K

243.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$81.6 ₹7,853

192.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$347 ₹33.4K

136.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$175 ₹16.9K

191.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$3,352 ₹322.7K

-42.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$1,754 ₹168.8K

-16.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$304 ₹29.2K

90.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.22

-51.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Thrissur: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $126 in Thrissur. 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 91% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $9.00 in Thrissur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $107 – making Thrissur 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 Thrissur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 107% more than Thrissur, 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $624 in Thrissur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $65.5 in Thrissur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 128% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $416 in Thrissur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Thrissur costs $416 versus $861 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 Thrissur. 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.