Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shimla 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 Shimla and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $310 per month in Shimla vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shimla $310
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $504 per month in Shimla vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shimla $504
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $698 per month in Shimla vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Shimla $698
Chiang Mai $1,979

Shimla is about 67% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shimla and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Shimla 77% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 ₹149

$2.24 ฿75.7

-30.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.47 ₹997

$19.00 ฿642

-44.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹295

$5.55 ฿188

-44.32%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.3

$1.67 ฿56.6

-44.91%

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

$0.34 ₹32.20

$0.64 ฿21.56

-46.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.42

$0.31 ฿10.32

-64.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₹156

$2.36 ฿79.6

-30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₹197

$3.66 ฿124

-43.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹64.2

$1.95 ฿65.8

-65.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 ₹40.36

$1.44 ฿48.51

-70.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.4

$1.33 ฿45.07

-52.63%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹85.1

$2.28 ฿77.1

-60.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ₹412

$16.45 ฿556

-73.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ₹303

$2.78 ฿94.0

14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₹178

$2.35 ฿79.5

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹72.1

$0.97 ฿32.82

-21.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.1

$1.60 ฿53.9

-60.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.51

$1.50 ฿50.7

-68.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.72

$1.28 ฿43.15

-76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.35

$1.10 ฿37.22

-67.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.99

$0.71 ฿23.84

-69.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.62

$0.49 ฿16.38

-44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₹322

$4.14 ฿140

-18.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹816

$17.52 ฿592

-51.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹147

$1.61 ฿54.5

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.78 ฿94.0

-26.62%

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

$3.80 ₹362

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.98

$0.87 ฿29.33

-74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹747

$54.1 ฿1,827

-85.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.16 ฿39.08

-7.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹31.93

$0.53 ฿17.82

-35.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.4

$2.42 ฿81.8

-57.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.45 ฿48.93

-24.83%

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

$8,462 ₹805.8K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-59.82%

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

$18.1K ₹1.7M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-32.95%

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

$18.17 ₹1,730

$62.2 ฿2,100

-70.77%

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

$3.13 ₹298

$12.17 ฿411

-74.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.02 ₹669

$20.12 ฿680

-65.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.85 ₹1,319

$37.31 ฿1,260

-62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 ₹1,012

$3.77 ฿127

181.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹292

$6.49 ฿219

-52.70%

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

$42.11 ₹4,010

$736 ฿24.9K

-94.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 ₹206.9K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-85.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 ₹2,357

$53.4 ฿1,802

-53.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 ₹2,092

$24.64 ฿832

-10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.31 ₹3,744

$91.5 ฿3,089

-57.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.41 ₹2,515

$71.9 ฿2,429

-63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 ₹8,222

$482 ฿16.3K

-82.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.3 ₹5,075

$309 ฿10.4K

-82.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₹18.9K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-80.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₹11.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

-80.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-76.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.6K

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-64.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ₹58.3K

$590 ฿19.9K

3.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

5.57

48.11%

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

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shimla

$99 32.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 136% $135

Accommodation & Living

Shimla

$53 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 480% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Shimla

$51 16.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 115% $58

Eating Out

Shimla

$47 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 65.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shimla

$28 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 234% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Shimla

$20 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 152% $30

Getting Around

Shimla

$11 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 435% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $86 in Shimla versus $482 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 4% higher in Shimla, 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 $10 in Shimla versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $99 vs $234 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shimla

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Shimla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shimla Chiang Mai 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shimla
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 202% more than Shimla, 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 $465 per month in Shimla and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $42 per month in Shimla and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 136% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $310 in Shimla and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Shimla – 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.

For expats, Shimla is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 67% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.