✦ Compare
Chiang Mai vs
Pune
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Chiang Mai, TH vs Pune, IN at a glance — Pune, IN is 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai, TH overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $250/mo versus $450/mo. Top income tax: 30% vs 35%.
To keep the same standard of living in Pune, IN, you'd need
$57,377 / year
Pune, IN is 23% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Pune, IN vs Chiang Mai, TH)
- Housing-40%
- Food & groceries-22%
- Transport-21%
- Utilities-26%
- Healthcare-31%
- Goods & services-9%
◎ How Chiang Mai, TH and Pune, IN compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Chiang Mai, TH | Pune, IN | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 49 | 37 |
| Housing | 42 | 25 |
| Food | 45 | 35 |
| Transport | 38 | 30 |
| Utilities | 65 | 48 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 38 |
| Goods & services | 55 | 50 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $450/mo | $250/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $300/mo | $160/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $900/mo | $650/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $1,800 | $1,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $2,059 | $2,692 |
| Inexpensive meal | $3 | $3 |
| Monthly transit pass | — | $20 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 35% | 30% |
| VAT / sales tax | 7% | 18% |
| Corporate tax | 20% | 25% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $800/mo | $500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $300/mo | $150/mo |
| GDP per capita | $8,057✓ | $2,702✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | -0.1%✓ | 2.4%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | High |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 45 |
| Time zone | UTC+7 | UTC+5.5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 53 | 54 |
| Safety index | 65 | 58 |
| Healthcare index | 70 | 62 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 62 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 50 Mbps |
| Walkability | 45 | 45 |
| Public transport | 30 | 42 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 58 |
| Tap water | Use caution | Use caution |
| Health insurance | — | $25/mo |
| Life expectancy | 77 yr✓ | 72 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +22 °C | +21 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +25 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 240 | 250 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,150 mm | 720 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 3 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Thailand vs India. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Chiang Mai vs Pune — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Chiang Mai
The original budget-nomad capital — temples, mountains and Nimman's café-coworking strip at some of Asia's lowest costs. The trade-off is the March–April burning season, when air quality collapses.
- Currency
- Thai baht (฿ THB)
- Languages
- Thai
- Time zone
- UTC+7
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 65/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 28°C · 240 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- A/B/C · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Nimman · Old City · Santitham · Hang Dong
Good to know before you move to Pune
A booming education and IT hub a few hours inland from Mumbai, with a milder climate and a big student and tech-worker crowd. Costs are among the lowest of any major tech city worldwide; the trade-offs are worsening traffic and stretched infrastructure.
- Currency
- Indian rupee (₹ INR)
- Languages
- Hindi, English
- Time zone
- UTC+5.5
- Internet
- 50 Mbps
- English
- Widely spoken
- Safety
- 58/100
- Climate
- ❄ 21°C · ☀ 25°C · 250 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Bottled recommended
- Power
- C/D/M · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Koregaon Park · Kalyani Nagar · Viman Nagar · Baner
Plan your move to Chiang Mai
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Scooter rentalBikesBooking
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
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Plan your move to Pune
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Chiang Mai to Pune: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Chiang Mai to Pune, your cost of living will be roughly 23% cheaper. Pune’s cost-of-living index is 37 versus 49 for Chiang Mai (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Chiang Mai cheaper than Pune?
Pune is about 23% cheaper than Chiang Mai overall — its cost-of-living index is 37 versus 49 for Chiang Mai.
Which is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Pune?
Chiang Mai is more expensive than Pune. Its cost-of-living index is 49 vs 37 (US = 100) — about 32% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Chiang Mai or Pune?
Rent is cheaper in Pune — about $250/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $450 in Chiang Mai.
How much do you need to earn in Pune to live like in Chiang Mai?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Chiang Mai is worth about $57,377 in Pune. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Chiang Mai or Pune?
India has the lower top income-tax rate — 30% versus 35% in Thailand.
◷ More comparisons from Chiang Mai
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.