Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tura

For one person, living is cheaper in Tura: $341 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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 Tura
Learn more

Tura Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Tura

🇮🇳 India

$341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $341 in Tura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Tura $341

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $548 in Tura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Tura $548

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $756 in Tura, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Tura $756

Chiang Mai costs about 171% more than Tura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Tura are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Tura 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.84 ₹270

-19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$11.60 ₹1,102

69.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.12 ₹297

79.81%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.97 ₹92.0

71.13%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.30 ₹28.16

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.11 ₹10.92

181.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.22 ₹115

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$1.86 ₹176

99.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.61 ₹58.3

219.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.47 ₹44.77

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.51 ₹48.39

156.86%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.88 ₹83.1

147.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.92 ₹372

324.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.22 ₹305

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.14 ₹203

11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.71 ₹67.9

45.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.90 ₹85.5

81.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.63 ₹59.8

138.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.34 ₹32.66

279.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.35 ₹33.17

217.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.31 ₹29.32

132.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.29 ₹27.81

82.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.69 ₹350

16.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$6.84 ₹650

162.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.53 ₹145

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.45 ₹233

15.92%

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

$4.93 ₹468

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.25 ₹23.53

244.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.55 ₹717

605.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.73 ₹69.6

65.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.28 ₹26.48

103.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.07 ₹102

119.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.99 ₹94.3

45.45%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

63.46%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$16.1K ₹1.5M

66.01%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$34.07 ₹3,236

82.95%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.08 ₹292

293.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.18 ₹587

222.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$14.37 ₹1,365

157.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$6.42 ₹610

-41.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.10 ₹295

109.68%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$27.81 ₹2,641

2750.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,270 ₹120.6K

1066.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$15.56 ₹1,477

245.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$12.74 ₹1,209

93.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$31.16 ₹2,959

191.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$25.71 ₹2,442

176.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$121 ₹11.5K

277.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$74.4 ₹7,063

300.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$262 ₹24.8K

247.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$173 ₹16.4K

221.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$967 ₹91.9K

99.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$514 ₹48.8K

181.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$619 ₹58.8K

-4.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tura: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Tura

$74 21.8% 75% $223

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Tura

$99 28.9% 58.1% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Tura

$38 11.2% 64.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Tura

$43 12.7% 54.1% $51

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Tura

$55 16.2% 29.8% $23

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tura

$11 3.1% 82.4% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tura

$21 6% 58.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Tura. 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 5% higher in Tura, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $12.00 in Tura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $99.0 – making Tura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Tura

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

75,000

💱 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 = 9.37 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tura 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tura

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 Tura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 171% more than Tura, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $512 in Tura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $27.81 in Tura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 139% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tura, where all-in costs run around $341, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Tura 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. Tura costs $341 versus $925 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 Tura. 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.