Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ghaziabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ghaziabad: $442 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Ghaziabad
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Ghaziabad Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Ghaziabad

🇮🇳 India

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $442 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Ghaziabad $442

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $680 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Ghaziabad $680

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $919 in Ghaziabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Ghaziabad $919

Chiang Mai costs about 109% more than Ghaziabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ghaziabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Ghaziabad 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.14 ₹298

-27.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$16.02 ₹1,522

22.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.62 ₹344

54.97%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.83 ₹174

-9.29%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.48 ₹45.28

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.18 ₹16.74

72.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.34 ₹223

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.77 ₹358

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.71 ₹67.6

174.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.50 ₹47.17

182.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.82 ₹77.8

59.76%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.09 ₹103

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.82 ₹362

335.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.23 ₹306

-14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.51 ₹143

58.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.75 ₹71.6

37.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.63 ₹59.6

158.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.46 ₹43.75

226.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.31 ₹29.04

316.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.50 ₹47.21

122.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.29 ₹27.85

148.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.31 ₹29.35

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$3.84 ₹364

12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$11.63 ₹1,105

54.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.18 ₹207

-27.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$4.81 ₹457

-40.96%

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

$5.82 ₹553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.54 ₹51.4

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$15.65 ₹1,486

240.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.55 ₹52.4

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.20 ₹18.95

185.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.82 ₹172

29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.09 ₹103

32.11%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

80.90%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$19.2K ₹1.8M

39.45%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$50.6 ₹4,803

23.23%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.44 ₹326

252.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$9.03 ₹857

120.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$16.49 ₹1,565

124.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$4.93 ₹468

-23.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$2.64 ₹251

146.21%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$83.8 ₹7,960

845.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,545 ₹146.7K

858.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$25.18 ₹2,391

113.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$23.29 ₹2,212

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$49.15 ₹4,668

84.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$29.88 ₹2,838

138.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$137 ₹13.0K

232.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$85.7 ₹8,138

247.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$301 ₹28.6K

201.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$162 ₹15.4K

241.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,075 ₹102.1K

79.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$728 ₹69.1K

98.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$389 ₹37.0K

51.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.21

-39.52%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ghaziabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Ghaziabad

$86 19.4% 71.2% $212

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Ghaziabad

$115 26% 51.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Ghaziabad

$57 13% 46.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Ghaziabad

$63 14.3% 33.2% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Ghaziabad

$80 18.1% 1.6% $1.2

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ghaziabad

$19 4.4% 68.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ghaziabad

$22 4.9% 56.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $137 in Ghaziabad. 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 52% 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 $16.00 in Ghaziabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $115 – making Ghaziabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Ghaziabad

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,729,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ghaziabad 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ghaziabad

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 Ghaziabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 109% more than Ghaziabad, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $663 in Ghaziabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $83.8 in Ghaziabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 105% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ghaziabad, where all-in costs run around $442, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Ghaziabad 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. Ghaziabad costs $442 versus $925 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 Ghaziabad. 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.