Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shillong and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shillong and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $402 per month in Shillong vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shillong $402
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $638 per month in Shillong vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shillong $638
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $874 per month in Shillong vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shillong $874
Chiang Mai $1,914

Shillong is about 57% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shillong and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Shillong 70% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.35 ₹318

$2.26 ฿75.4

48.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.44 ₹1,086

$19.18 ฿641

-40.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ₹457

$5.59 ฿187

-13.95%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ₹157

$1.72 ฿57.6

-3.49%

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

$0.41 ₹38.89

$0.64 ฿21.54

-35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.94

$0.33 ฿11.18

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₹116

$2.36 ฿78.7

-48.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹331

$3.90 ฿130

-10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.9

$2.05 ฿68.6

-70.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 ₹29.07

$1.40 ฿46.70

-77.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 ₹55.4

$1.28 ฿42.89

-54.69%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹86.9

$2.25 ฿75.3

-59.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 ₹366

$16.94 ฿566

-77.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ₹231

$2.74 ฿91.6

-11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹205

$2.40 ฿80.3

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ₹64.4

$1.01 ฿33.92

-32.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₹88.4

$1.61 ฿53.9

-42.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.22

$1.52 ฿50.7

-65.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ₹29.25

$1.28 ฿42.90

-75.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.78

$1.11 ฿37.22

-68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$0.72 ฿24.09

-69.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.68

$0.52 ฿17.54

-51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 ₹485

$4.33 ฿145

18.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 ₹458

$17.73 ฿593

-72.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₹121

$1.63 ฿54.4

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₹187

$2.85 ฿95.3

-30.88%

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

$4.78 ₹454

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₹70.3

$1.17 ฿39.18

-36.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ₹26.52

$0.57 ฿19.00

-50.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ₹123

$2.37 ฿79.2

-45.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.45 ฿48.32

-24.83%

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

$12.6K ₹1.2M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-38.32%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-39.46%

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

$34.74 ₹3,299

$62.3 ฿2,083

-44.26%

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

$3.29 ₹313

$12.27 ฿410

-73.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.12 ₹581

$19.97 ฿668

-69.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.99 ₹948

$37.91 ฿1,267

-73.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.11 ₹486

$3.76 ฿126

35.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₹294

$6.71 ฿224

-53.80%

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

$27.65 ₹2,626

$797 ฿26.6K

-96.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,164 ₹110.5K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-92.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.41 ₹1,653

$53.3 ฿1,780

-67.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.11 ₹2,100

$25.05 ฿837

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.74 ₹3,489

$91.6 ฿3,062

-59.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.45 ₹2,606

$73.5 ฿2,455

-62.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 ₹19.9K

$464 ฿15.5K

-54.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 ₹12.4K

$305 ฿10.2K

-57.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₹69.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₹27.0K

$552 ฿18.5K

-48.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₹41.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

-25.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

5.57

32.50%

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

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shillong

$131 32.5%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 133% $174

Groceries & Markets

Shillong

$86 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 178% $152

Eating Out

Shillong

$76 19%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 3.4% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Shillong

$47 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 135% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shillong

$44 11%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 114% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Shillong

$16 4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 217% $35

Getting Around

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 2765% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $210 in Shillong versus $464 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 35% 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 $11.00 in Shillong versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $86.0 vs $238 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shillong

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

05:34 5:34 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Shillong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shillong Chiang Mai 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shillong
Chiang Mai

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

Shillong vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Shillong, 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 $603 per month in Shillong and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Shillong and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 178% 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 Shillong, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Shillong 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. Shillong costs $402 versus $938 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 Shillong. 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.