Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Valsad

For one person, living is cheaper in Valsad: $302 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Valsad
Learn more

Valsad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Valsad

🇮🇳 India

$302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $302 in Valsad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Valsad $302

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $488 in Valsad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Valsad $488

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $673 in Valsad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Valsad $673

Chiang Mai costs about 210% more than Valsad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Valsad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Valsad 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.55 ₹147

44.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$6.19 ₹587

206.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.58 ₹245

115.12%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$0.88 ₹83.3

89.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.36 ₹33.92

77.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.14 ₹13.22

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.14 ₹108

107.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.23 ₹402

-13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.69 ₹65.2

182.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.49 ₹46.26

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.76 ₹72.2

75.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.81 ₹77.4

181.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$5.41 ₹514

204.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.57 ₹339

-22.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.63 ₹155

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.54 ₹51.3

79.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.20 ₹114

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.52 ₹48.93

188.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.34 ₹32.68

276.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.37 ₹34.71

197.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.38 ₹36.26

86.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.29 ₹27.10

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.04 ₹384

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$3.11 ₹296

463.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.43 ₹136

12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.56 ₹243

8.59%

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

$6.10 ₹579

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.16 ₹15.51

443.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$7.29 ₹692

641.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.32 ₹30.23

262.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.34 ₹31.87

55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$0.56 ₹52.8

332.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.04 ₹98.3

39.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$10.6K ₹1.0M

98.42%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$15.5K ₹1.5M

74.07%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$16.20 ₹1,538

283.77%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.67 ₹254

355.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$4.58 ₹435

339.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$8.06 ₹765

362.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.66 ₹632

-43.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.07 ₹197

213.53%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$31.11 ₹2,954

2266.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,420 ₹134.8K

940.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$21.26 ₹2,019

151.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$15.59 ₹1,481

58.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$33.68 ₹3,198

171.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$19.76 ₹1,876

264.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$121 ₹11.5K

299.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$72.8 ₹6,913

324.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$269 ₹25.5K

274.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$170 ₹16.1K

272.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$991 ₹94.1K

138.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$530 ₹50.3K

199.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$423 ₹40.2K

39.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.29

-32.81%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Valsad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Valsad

$73 24.1% 76.4% $236

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Valsad

$96 31.8% 59% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Valsad

$41 13.5% 62.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Valsad

$23 7.8% 75.2% $71

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Valsad

$47 15.5% 39.7% $31

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Valsad

$9.9 3.3% 83.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Valsad

$12 4% 75.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Valsad. 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 39% 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $6 in Valsad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $96 – making Valsad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Valsad

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

14:38 2:38 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

114,600

💱 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 = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Valsad 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Valsad

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 Valsad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 210% more than Valsad, 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 $453 in Valsad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valsad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $121 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $31 in Valsad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $302 in Valsad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Valsad – 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 Valsad. 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.