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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $368 in Aligarh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $567 in Aligarh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $766 in Aligarh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 153% more than Aligarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aligarh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Aligarh 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$4.45 ₹427

-53.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$11.00 ₹1,056

78.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.75 ₹360

51.20%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.40 ₹231

-24.58%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.45 ₹42.98

71.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.09 ₹8.30

288.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.55 ₹149

42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.10 ₹298

22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.67 ₹63.9

205.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.44 ₹42.34

243.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.78 ₹74.4

79.49%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.88 ₹84.2

156.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.80 ₹460

237.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.80 ₹269

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.20 ₹116

123.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.51 ₹48.53

113.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.82 ₹78.6

97.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.48 ₹46.39

204.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.25 ₹23.98

412.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.34 ₹32.20

211.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.63 ₹60.5

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.31 ₹30.01

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.88 ₹468

-13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$10.27 ₹985

78.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.43 ₹137

13.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.86 ₹274

1.40%

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

$4.06 ₹389

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.32 ₹30.97

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$2.53 ₹243

2025.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.27 ₹26.00

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.22 ₹21.14

163.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$2.13 ₹204

12.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.03 ₹99.1

40.78%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

40.32%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$19.1K ₹1.8M

38.14%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$44.63 ₹4,282

42.62%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.48 ₹334

270.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$7.11 ₹682

188.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$10.53 ₹1,010

270.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$3.17 ₹304

23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.67 ₹256

146.44%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$71.7 ₹6,875

993.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$712 ₹68.3K

1959.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$18.95 ₹1,818

190.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$27.86 ₹2,673

-11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$49.03 ₹4,704

91.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$23.52 ₹2,256

214.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$60.8 ₹5,835

706.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$41.26 ₹3,958

598.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$106 ₹10.2K

740.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$84.6 ₹8,120

515.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,988 ₹190.8K

-0.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$257 ₹24.6K

462.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$1,048 ₹100.5K

-42.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.76

-36.42%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Aligarh: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $60.8 in Aligarh. 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 74% higher in Aligarh, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Aligarh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $102 – making Aligarh 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 Aligarh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 153%, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $553 in Aligarh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aligarh, 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $11.00 in Aligarh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $932 in Chiang Mai and $368 in Aligarh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aligarh, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Aligarh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aligarh – 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 Aligarh. 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.