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 $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $371 in Aligarh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $571 in Aligarh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $770 in Aligarh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 133% more than Aligarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Aligarh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Aligarh 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$3.68 ₹350

-47.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$7.81 ₹744

138.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$3.55 ₹339

120.28%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$2.00 ₹191

-2.50%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.24 ₹22.69

254.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.10 ₹9.93

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$1.89 ₹180

12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.03 ₹289

23.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.76 ₹72.7

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.42 ₹39.97

288.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.85 ₹81.0

34.12%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$0.89 ₹84.7

116.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$4.55 ₹434

256.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.82 ₹269

10.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$1.41 ₹135

95.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.60 ₹56.8

101.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.89 ₹84.3

82.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.46 ₹43.52

245.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.29 ₹27.97

382.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.39 ₹36.91

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.56 ₹53.7

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.32 ₹30.53

65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$4.15 ₹395

13.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$11.28 ₹1,074

65.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.58 ₹151

13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$2.82 ₹269

14.54%

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

$3.28 ₹313

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.36 ₹34.61

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$2.90 ₹276

562.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$0.28 ₹26.59

403.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

$0.22 ₹20.85

486.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.19 ₹113

558.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.12 ₹107

13.39%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$17.1K ₹1.6M

24.19%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$21.4K ₹2.0M

3.69%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$50.9 ₹4,850

35.64%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.75 ₹357

275.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$8.13 ₹774

121.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$9.49 ₹904

332.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$3.50 ₹334

98.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.93 ₹279

102.05%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$79.7 ₹7,594

275.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$798 ₹76.1K

1772.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$27.45 ₹2,615

99.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$30.98 ₹2,951

-13.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$49.41 ₹4,707

72.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$27.32 ₹2,603

158.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$57.5 ₹5,480

644.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$46.23 ₹4,403

413.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$118 ₹11.2K

578.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$92.4 ₹8,804

457.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,991 ₹189.7K

-0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$260 ₹24.7K

467.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$1,034 ₹98.5K

-40.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-33.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aligarh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $57.5 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 68% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $8.00 in Aligarh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $107 – 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 133%, 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $557 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $8.00 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 $866 in Chiang Mai and $371 in Aligarh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $371 in Aligarh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.