Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Allahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Allahabad: $311 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Allahabad
Learn more

Allahabad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Allahabad

🇮🇳 India

$311

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Allahabad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Allahabad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $311 in Allahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Allahabad $311

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $494 in Allahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Allahabad $494

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $677 in Allahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Allahabad $677

Chiang Mai costs about 201% more than Allahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Allahabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Allahabad 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.61 ₹152

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$10.49 ₹996

81.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.56 ₹243

116.80%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$0.88 ₹83.3

89.77%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.42 ₹39.61

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.13 ₹12.32

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.57 ₹149

50.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.29 ₹217

59.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$0.67 ₹63.8

191.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.45 ₹42.80

220.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.63 ₹60.1

111.11%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.00 ₹94.5

128.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.46 ₹328

375.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.38 ₹226

16.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.35 ₹128

74.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$0.68 ₹64.5

42.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.88 ₹83.4

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.51 ₹48.76

194.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.32 ₹30.38

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.41 ₹39.28

168.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.43 ₹40.40

65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.32 ₹30.40

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.29 ₹407

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$3.70 ₹352

373.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.61 ₹153

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.61 ₹248

6.51%

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

$5.31 ₹504

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.20 ₹18.94

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$6.17 ₹586

776.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.92 ₹86.9

26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.11 ₹10.25

381.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$1.18 ₹112

105.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$1.10 ₹104

31.82%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

88.53%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$22.4K ₹2.1M

20.38%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$39.15 ₹3,717

58.80%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.85 ₹270

327.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$5.68 ₹539

254.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$14.33 ₹1,360

160.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.51 ₹618

-42.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.21 ₹305

102.18%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$24.23 ₹2,300

2938.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$623 ₹59.1K

2270.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$23.53 ₹2,234

126.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$15.45 ₹1,467

59.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$24.44 ₹2,321

274.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$19.22 ₹1,825

274.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$110 ₹10.4K

338.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$65.9 ₹6,258

368.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$218 ₹20.7K

361.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$153 ₹14.5K

314.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$931 ₹88.4K

153.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$523 ₹49.7K

203.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$354 ₹33.6K

66.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.53

-34.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Allahabad: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Allahabad

$66 21.2% 78.7% $243

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Allahabad

$85 27.4% 63.7% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Allahabad

$37 12% 65.8% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Allahabad

$48 15.4% 49.5% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Allahabad

$46 14.7% 41.2% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Allahabad

$8.4 2.7% 86.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Allahabad

$21 6.7% 58.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $110 in Allahabad. 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 66% 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $10 in Allahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $85 – making Allahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Allahabad

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

07:29 7:29 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,959,798

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Allahabad 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Allahabad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Allahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 201% more than Allahabad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $466 in Allahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Allahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $110 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Groceries cost about 176% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $10 in Allahabad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Allahabad, where all-in costs run around $311, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Allahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Allahabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.