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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $271 in Vellore, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $479 in Vellore, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $687 in Vellore, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 218% more than Vellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Vellore are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Vellore 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.7

$1.42 ₹137

38.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿616

$7.61 ₹733

141.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿251

$2.29 ₹221

226.64%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.26 ₹121

60.32%

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

$0.85 ฿28.45

$0.36 ₹34.95

136.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.94

$0.15 ₹14.14

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$1.73 ₹166

23.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.46 ₹333

3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$0.55 ₹52.7

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$0.47 ₹45.28

234.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.95

$0.69 ₹66.7

72.46%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.0

$0.81 ₹78.2

139.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$2.11 ₹203

667.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿100

$2.46 ₹236

21.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿367

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.0

$1.71 ₹165

58.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.76 ₹72.9

53.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$0.96 ₹92.0

76.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.32 ₹31.17

400.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$0.34 ₹32.40

305.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.38

$0.57 ₹54.8

110.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.46

$0.22 ₹21.15

204.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.70

$0.26 ₹24.72

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$1.72 ₹165

169.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿591

$3.67 ₹353

380.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.4

$1.86 ₹179

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.72 ₹262

21.32%

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

$5.53 ₹533

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

$0.28 ₹26.83

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

$8.70 ₹837

122.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$0.45 ₹43.23

202.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.90

$0.36 ₹34.35

272.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.15 ₹111

613.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.11

$1.25 ₹120

-2.40%

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

$21.4K ฿716.8K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

92.92%

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

$22.5K ฿756.3K

$16.7K ₹1.6M

35.28%

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

$70.7 ฿2,372

$34.25 ₹3,298

106.34%

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

$14.04 ฿471

$3.26 ₹314

330.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿587

$4.23 ₹407

313.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,415

$8.76 ₹844

381.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$5.00 ₹481

37.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.35 ₹227

151.91%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$31.88 ₹3,070

867.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿499.5K

$1,278 ₹123.1K

1064.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,872

$9.20 ₹886

506.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿877

$20.69 ₹1,992

26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,787

$21.43 ₹2,063

287.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,365

$26.64 ₹2,565

164.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$64.9 ₹6,246

566.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,020

$34.61 ₹3,332

590.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.6K

$188 ₹18.1K

336.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$182 ₹17.5K

182.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

$1,122 ₹108.0K

70.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$674 ₹64.9K

117.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

$313 ₹30.2K

84.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

-23.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vellore: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $64.9 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 85% 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 $8.00 in Vellore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $82.0 – 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 218% 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 $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $407 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 $309 per month in Chiang Mai and $31.88 in Vellore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 199% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $271 in Vellore, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vellore costs $271 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 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.