Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Akola Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Akola

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $369 in Akola, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $555 in Akola, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $741 in Akola, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 134% more than Akola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Akola are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Akola 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$0.89 ₹85.2

120.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$7.33 ₹706

150.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$2.98 ₹287

151.01%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.55 ₹149

30.32%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.48 ₹46.51

77.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.16 ₹15.59

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.78 ₹171

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.01 ₹290

19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.71 ₹68.2

132.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.47 ₹44.95

234.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.60 ₹57.4

98.33%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.81 ₹78.4

139.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$5.51 ₹531

193.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.39 ₹230

25.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.01 ₹194

34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.60 ₹57.9

95.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.03 ₹99.5

64.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.64 ₹61.5

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.39 ₹37.57

253.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.34 ₹32.54

252.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.51 ₹48.87

31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.33 ₹31.89

69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$2.35 ₹226

97.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$4.27 ₹411

312.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.11 ₹203

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.02 ₹387

-17.91%

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

$2.36 ₹227

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.22 ₹21.14

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$6.94 ₹669

178.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.60 ₹57.3

126.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.24 ₹23.12

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.43 ₹138

474.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.20 ₹116

1.67%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

82.04%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$16.5K ₹1.6M

36.42%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$32.04 ₹3,084

120.57%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.57 ₹343

293.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$8.52 ₹820

105.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$17.31 ₹1,667

143.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$3.41 ₹328

101.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$3.55 ₹342

66.76%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$52.0 ₹5,002

493.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$1,599 ₹153.9K

830.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$21.00 ₹2,022

165.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$27.37 ₹2,635

-4.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$57.0 ₹5,486

45.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$35.91 ₹3,457

96.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$119 ₹11.4K

264.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$68.6 ₹6,605

248.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$228 ₹22.0K

259.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$141 ₹13.6K

263.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$3,345 ₹322.0K

-42.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$1,681 ₹161.8K

-12.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$315 ₹30.3K

83.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.21

-45.71%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Akola: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $119 in Akola. 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 84% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $7.00 in Akola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $102 – making Akola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 134%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,292 per month in Chiang Mai and $553 in Akola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $861 in Chiang Mai and $369 in Akola. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 179% less in Akola. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $861 in Chiang Mai and $369 in Akola, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Akola – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Akola. 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.