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 $861 per month in Chiang Mai vs $376 in Aligarh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,350 per month in Chiang Mai vs $564 in Aligarh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,838 per month in Chiang Mai vs $751 in Aligarh, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 129% more than Aligarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.9

$3.58 ₹344

-45.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$7.57 ₹729

142.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$3.41 ₹328

119.35%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$2.11 ₹204

-4.27%

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

$0.85 ฿28.52

$0.26 ₹25.14

226.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.97

$0.11 ₹10.54

227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

$1.89 ₹182

13.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.16 ₹304

13.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.72 ₹68.9

129.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.43 ₹41.06

265.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.05

$0.85 ₹82.2

40.00%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$0.90 ₹86.5

115.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿545

$4.66 ₹448

247.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$2.81 ₹270

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$1.42 ₹137

90.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.27

$0.63 ₹60.4

85.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.90 ₹86.3

87.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.48 ₹46.46

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.29 ₹28.11

375.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.47

$0.38 ₹36.69

215.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.51

$0.60 ₹58.0

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.74

$0.32 ₹30.88

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$4.05 ₹390

14.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$10.29 ₹991

71.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.58 ₹152

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.73 ₹263

20.88%

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

$3.36 ₹323

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.70

$0.37 ₹35.38

137.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿651

$2.88 ₹277

571.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.92

$0.30 ₹28.99

353.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿45.00

$0.24 ₹23.21

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.15 ₹110

613.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.20

$1.17 ₹113

4.27%

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

$21.4K ฿718.5K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

23.04%

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

$22.5K ฿758.1K

$21.9K ₹2.1M

3.02%

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

$70.7 ฿2,378

$50.5 ₹4,862

39.91%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.87 ₹373

262.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿589

$7.89 ₹760

121.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,418

$9.46 ₹911

345.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$3.45 ₹332

99.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.94 ₹283

101.36%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$79.0 ₹7,607

290.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.7K

$799 ₹77.0K

1761.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,876

$28.15 ₹2,710

98.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿879

$30.68 ₹2,953

-14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,793

$49.11 ₹4,728

69.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,371

$27.67 ₹2,663

154.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$59.0 ₹5,677

632.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,040

$46.51 ₹4,477

413.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$117 ₹11.2K

603.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$92.1 ₹8,869

455.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,994 ₹191.9K

-3.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.4K

$253 ₹24.3K

480.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$1,045 ₹100.6K

-44.56%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aligarh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $432 in Chiang Mai versus $59.0 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 80% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $8.00 in Aligarh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $105 – 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 129%, 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 $564 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 $18.00 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $376 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 $861 in Chiang Mai and $376 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.