Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $812 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

40

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Surat

🇮🇳 India

$812

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $812 per month in Surat vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat $812
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $842 per month in Surat vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat $842
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $873 per month in Surat vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surat $873
Chiang Mai $1,914

Surat is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surat and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Surat 40% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 ₹307

$2.26 ฿75.4

42.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.58 ₹1,005

$19.18 ฿641

-44.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.11 ₹295

$5.59 ฿187

-44.36%

Cappuccino

$1.78 ₹169

$1.72 ฿57.6

3.49%

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

$0.35 ₹33.52

$0.64 ฿21.54

-45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₹14.97

$0.33 ฿11.18

-51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.36 ฿78.7

32.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₹320

$3.90 ฿130

-13.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.9

$2.05 ฿68.6

-65.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₹44.16

$1.40 ฿46.70

-66.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 ₹67.9

$1.28 ฿42.89

-43.75%

Eggs

$0.91 ₹86.2

$2.25 ฿75.3

-59.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 ₹437

$16.94 ฿566

-72.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ₹264

$2.74 ฿91.6

1.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ₹158

$2.40 ฿80.3

-30.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 ₹58.1

$1.01 ฿33.92

-39.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 ₹71.9

$1.61 ฿53.9

-52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.4

$1.52 ฿50.7

-64.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.75

$1.28 ฿42.90

-73.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.01

$1.11 ฿37.22

-63.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 ₹42.96

$0.72 ฿24.09

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹30.86

$0.52 ฿17.54

-36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹484

$4.33 ฿145

17.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 ₹741

$17.73 ฿593

-56.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₹178

$1.63 ฿54.4

15.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₹293

$2.85 ฿95.3

8.42%

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

$6.28 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₹21.86

$0.85 ฿28.31

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.16 ₹490

$53.9 ฿1,801

-90.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₹56.0

$1.17 ฿39.18

-49.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₹18.96

$0.57 ฿19.00

-64.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ₹102

$2.37 ฿79.2

-54.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$1.45 ฿48.32

-24.83%

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

$12.0K ₹1.1M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-41.18%

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

$18.4K ₹1.7M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-30.63%

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

$35.99 ₹3,418

$62.3 ฿2,083

-42.26%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$12.27 ฿410

-70.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.21 ₹685

$19.97 ฿668

-63.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.30 ₹1,737

$37.91 ฿1,267

-51.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.26 ₹499

$3.76 ฿126

39.89%

Cinema Ticket

$2.92 ₹277

$6.71 ฿224

-56.48%

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

$33.17 ₹3,150

$797 ฿26.6K

-95.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$902 ₹85.6K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-93.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.44 ₹2,130

$53.3 ฿1,780

-57.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.15 ₹2,293

$25.05 ฿837

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.46 ₹3,936

$91.6 ฿3,062

-54.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.05 ₹3,044

$73.5 ฿2,455

-56.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 ₹20.7K

$464 ฿15.5K

-52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₹47.1K

$305 ฿10.2K

62.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₹35.4K

$915 ฿30.6K

-59.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ₹19.5K

$552 ฿18.5K

-62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$669 ₹63.5K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-65.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$305 ₹29.0K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-78.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$319 ₹30.2K

$595 ฿19.9K

-46.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

5.57

64.63%

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

Last update for Surat: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surat

$496 61.1%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 38.6% $191

Groceries & Markets

Surat

$102 12.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 133% $136

Eating Out

Surat

$81 10%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 2.3% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Surat

$54 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 103% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat

$47 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 102% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Surat

$24 3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 113% $27

Getting Around

Surat

$7.7 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 699% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $218 in Surat 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 87% 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 Surat versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $238 – making Surat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Surat

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:22 6:22 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Surat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,936,534

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 = 94.95 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 = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Surat Chiang Mai 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Surat
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Surat, 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 $1,218 per month in Surat 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 Surat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $33.17 per month in Surat and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% 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 Surat, where all-in costs run around $812, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Surat 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. Surat costs $812 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 Surat. 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.