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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $307 in Allahabad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $487 in Allahabad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $667 in Allahabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 204% more than Allahabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Allahabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Allahabad 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$1.53 ₹147

35.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$10.62 ₹1,019

84.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$2.57 ₹246

120.62%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$0.88 ₹84.7

105.68%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.37 ₹35.64

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.11 ₹10.12

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.55 ₹148

42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$2.24 ₹215

69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.73 ₹69.8

180.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.41 ₹39.63

268.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.60 ₹57.5

133.33%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.99 ₹94.7

128.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$3.61 ₹346

348.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.47 ₹237

17.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.30 ₹125

106.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.62 ₹59.8

75.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.85 ₹81.9

90.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.48 ₹46.01

204.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.32 ₹31.10

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.45 ₹43.24

135.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.42 ₹39.86

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.30 ₹28.41

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.37 ₹420

-3.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$3.73 ₹357

390.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.66 ₹159

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.62 ₹251

10.69%

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

$5.19 ₹498

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.20 ₹19.17

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$6.41 ₹615

738.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.90 ₹86.0

30.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.11 ₹10.69

427.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.13 ₹108

111.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.09 ₹105

33.03%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

69.34%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$21.5K ₹2.1M

22.71%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$38.66 ₹3,709

64.64%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$2.89 ₹277

346.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$5.86 ₹562

250.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$14.26 ₹1,368

173.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.51 ₹624

-39.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$3.21 ₹308

104.98%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$24.65 ₹2,365

3080.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$625 ₹59.9K

2248.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$22.79 ₹2,187

141.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$15.73 ₹1,509

57.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$23.89 ₹2,292

293.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$19.42 ₹1,863

280.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$112 ₹10.7K

339.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$66.2 ₹6,349

335.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$210 ₹20.1K

324.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$152 ₹14.6K

242.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$975 ₹93.5K

102.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$511 ₹49.0K

182.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

$368 ₹35.3K

63.30%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Allahabad: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $112 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 63% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Allahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $85.0 – making Allahabad 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 Allahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 204% more than Allahabad, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $460 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 183% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai and $11.00 in Allahabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Allahabad, where all-in costs run around $307, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Allahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Allahabad costs $307 versus $932 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Allahabad. 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.