Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Mumbai (Bombay) and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $759 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $852 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,262 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $1,354 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,766 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $1,857 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Mumbai (Bombay) is about 11% cheaper than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Mumbai (Bombay) and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.31 â‚đ503
$1.96 āļŋ63.6
170.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.21 â‚đ2,101
$18.81 āļŋ611
18.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.67 â‚đ442
$7.92 āļŋ258
-41.04%
Cappuccino
$2.62 â‚đ248
$1.91 āļŋ62.2
37.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 â‚đ47.87
$0.84 āļŋ27.25
-39.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15 â‚đ14.03
$0.35 āļŋ11.44
-57.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 â‚đ215
$2.21 āļŋ71.7
2.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 â‚đ387
$3.80 āļŋ124
7.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 â‚đ75.4
$1.64 āļŋ53.2
-51.22%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 â‚đ49.47
$1.62 āļŋ52.8
-67.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.82 â‚đ77.3
$1.18 āļŋ38.40
-30.51%
Eggs
$1.09 â‚đ103
$2.01 āļŋ65.4
-45.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.02 â‚đ664
$15.89 āļŋ517
-55.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.89 â‚đ368
$3.01 āļŋ98.0
29.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$10.77 āļŋ350
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 â‚đ225
$2.61 āļŋ85.0
-8.81%
Banana (1kg)
$0.80 â‚đ76.0
$1.22 āļŋ39.65
-34.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.30 â‚đ123
$1.70 āļŋ55.4
-23.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.65 â‚đ61.5
$1.58 āļŋ51.2
-58.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 â‚đ53.5
$1.32 āļŋ42.89
-56.82%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 â‚đ60.0
$1.17 āļŋ38.01
-46.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 â‚đ59.9
$0.67 āļŋ21.85
-5.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 â‚đ30.89
$0.56 āļŋ18.21
-41.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 â‚đ379
$4.53 āļŋ147
-11.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.07 â‚đ764
$18.20 āļŋ592
-55.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 â‚đ204
$1.83 āļŋ59.6
18.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 â‚đ321
$3.23 āļŋ105
4.95%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$7.13 â‚đ675
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 â‚đ22.74
$0.89 āļŋ28.83
-73.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.63 â‚đ439
$19.38 āļŋ630
-76.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 â‚đ32.06
$1.35 āļŋ43.95
-74.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.35 āļŋ43.79
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.40 â‚đ133
$8.25 āļŋ268
-83.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 â‚đ116
$1.27 āļŋ41.40
-3.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.3K â‚đ1.6M
$21.2K āļŋ687.8K
-18.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K â‚đ2.4M
$22.5K āļŋ731.0K
12.39%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$50.2 â‚đ4,748
$70.2 āļŋ2,281
-28.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.00 â‚đ473
$13.77 āļŋ448
-63.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.79 â‚đ832
$17.60 āļŋ572
-50.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.18 â‚đ2,193
$41.57 āļŋ1,352
-44.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.81 â‚đ1,117
$6.60 āļŋ215
78.94%
Cinema Ticket
$4.70 â‚đ445
$5.78 āļŋ188
-18.69%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 â‚đ11.4K
$306 āļŋ9,953
-60.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,385 â‚đ320.3K
$14.8K āļŋ482.0K
-77.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.30 â‚đ2,772
$54.4 āļŋ1,768
-46.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.72 â‚đ2,907
$26.14 āļŋ850
17.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.0 â‚đ5,207
$84.5 āļŋ2,748
-34.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.51 â‚đ3,738
$69.4 āļŋ2,257
-43.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$694 â‚đ65.7K
$424 āļŋ13.8K
63.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$359 â‚đ33.9K
$238 āļŋ7,743
50.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,797 â‚đ170.0K
$825 āļŋ26.8K
117.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$821 â‚đ77.7K
$515 āļŋ16.7K
59.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,515 â‚đ616.5K
$2,049 āļŋ66.6K
217.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,661 â‚đ251.8K
$1,523 āļŋ49.5K
74.72%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Mumbai (Bombay)
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$719 â‚đ68.0K
$635 āļŋ20.6K
13.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.22
5
84.40%

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

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $694 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $424 in Chiang Mai. 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 13% higher in Mumbai (Bombay), 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 $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $130 in Mumbai (Bombay) vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Mumbai (Bombay) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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
Mumbai (Bombay) vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 12% more than Mumbai (Bombay), with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mumbai (Bombay) vs Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,139 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $1,278 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Mumbai (Bombay) and Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Mumbai (Bombay) and $306 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 88% 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.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mumbai (Bombay), where all-in costs run around $759, than in Chiang Mai at $852. In Mumbai (Bombay) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mumbai (Bombay) costs $759 versus $852 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Mumbai (Bombay) compared to Chiang Mai?
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.
Should I move to Mumbai (Bombay) or Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with Mumbai (Bombay). 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.

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