Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $520 in Delhi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Delhi $520

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $858 in Delhi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Delhi $858

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,195 in Delhi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Delhi $1,195

Chiang Mai costs about 74% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Delhi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$3.67 ₹355

-41.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$20.95 ₹2,027

-7.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$3.74 ₹362

46.26%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.33 ₹226

-27.90%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.37 ₹35.82

78.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.20 ₹18.91

70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$2.02 ₹195

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$3.19 ₹308

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$0.68 ₹65.9

202.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$0.52 ₹50.2

180.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$0.83 ₹80.0

62.65%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$1.07 ₹104

112.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

$4.43 ₹428

268.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$3.37 ₹326

-19.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

$1.99 ₹192

20.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$0.72 ₹70.1

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

$1.02 ₹98.4

56.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

$0.52 ₹50.1

176.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

$0.27 ₹25.96

381.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

$0.37 ₹35.42

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

$0.43 ₹41.64

62.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.31 ₹30.39

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$4.92 ₹476

-16.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$8.34 ₹808

113.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$1.64 ₹159

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$2.70 ₹261

6.30%

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

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.46 ₹44.04

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$15.29 ₹1,480

247.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$1.03 ₹99.8

18.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.27 ₹26.38

107.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$1.53 ₹148

50.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.05 ₹102

42.86%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$10.5K ₹1.0M

99.32%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

45.55%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$42.67 ₹4,129

43.57%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$4.04 ₹391

209.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$6.75 ₹653

201.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$19.40 ₹1,878

95.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$8.06 ₹780

-53.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$5.08 ₹492

29.92%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$100 ₹9,696

672.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$2,268 ₹219.5K

536.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$24.14 ₹2,336

127.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$28.38 ₹2,747

-10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$53.3 ₹5,160

69.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$44.13 ₹4,271

66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$264 ₹25.5K

73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$154 ₹14.9K

90.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$736 ₹71.2K

24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$397 ₹38.5K

38.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-23.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$1,017 ₹98.4K

42.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$585 ₹56.7K

1.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 47.5% $140

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 54.2% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Delhi

$67 13% 38.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 43.2% $41

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 13% $10

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 67.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 42.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $264 in Delhi. 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 1% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Chiang Mai vs $108 in Delhi – so Delhi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

17:46 5:46 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Delhi 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 74% more than Delhi, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $780 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $100 in Delhi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 119% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Delhi 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. Delhi costs $520 versus $906 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 Delhi. 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.