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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $254 in Vellore, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $437 in Vellore, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $620 in Vellore, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 267% more than Vellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Vellore are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Vellore 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.26 ₹121

65.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$6.74 ₹646

190.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.12 ₹203

167.45%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.96 ₹188

-7.65%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.35 ₹33.79

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.11 ₹10.77

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.52 ₹146

45.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.20 ₹307

18.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.48 ₹46.12

327.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.52 ₹50.2

190.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.60 ₹57.6

133.33%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.79 ₹75.4

186.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$1.86 ₹179

770.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.40 ₹230

20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.51 ₹145

77.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.71 ₹68.0

53.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.85 ₹81.3

90.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.27 ₹25.67

440.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.33 ₹31.20

287.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.39 ₹37.58

171.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.32 ₹30.88

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.26 ₹24.62

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$1.56 ₹150

171.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$3.68 ₹353

397.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.57 ₹150

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.49 ₹239

16.47%

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

$5.09 ₹489

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.24 ₹23.09

266.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$5.10 ₹490

954.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.45 ₹43.31

160.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.28 ₹26.61

107.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.04 ₹100.0

129.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.05 ₹101

38.10%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$10.1K ₹971.7K

107.46%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

75.39%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$29.86 ₹2,865

113.16%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.98 ₹382

223.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$4.21 ₹404

387.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$8.37 ₹803

366.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$4.85 ₹465

-19.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.36 ₹226

178.81%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$48.07 ₹4,612

1530.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,420 ₹136.3K

933.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$8.12 ₹779

578.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$18.60 ₹1,785

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$21.24 ₹2,037

343.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$25.40 ₹2,436

191.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$57.6 ₹5,530

750.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$31.76 ₹3,047

807.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$164 ₹15.8K

442.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$157 ₹15.1K

231.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,134 ₹108.8K

74.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$657 ₹63.0K

119.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$304 ₹29.2K

97.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Vellore: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $57.6 in Vellore. 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 98% 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 $7.00 in Vellore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $76.0 – making Vellore 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 Vellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 267% more than Vellore, 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 $381 in Vellore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vellore, 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 $48.07 in Vellore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 217% 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 Vellore, where all-in costs run around $254, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Vellore 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. Vellore costs $254 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 Vellore. 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.