Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Goa

For one person, living is cheaper in Goa: $519 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Goa
Learn more

Goa Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Goa

🇮🇳 India

$519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $519 in Goa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Goa $519

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $820 in Goa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Goa $820

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,122 in Goa, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Goa $1,122

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Goa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Goa are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Goa 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.8

$3.23 ₹305

-34.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿626

$15.75 ₹1,490

18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$5.72 ₹541

-2.10%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.27 ₹121

30.71%

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

$0.65 ฿21.75

$0.36 ₹33.99

80.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.25

$0.19 ₹18.16

57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.1

$1.14 ₹108

103.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.66 ₹252

37.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.8

$0.75 ₹70.7

169.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.34

$0.55 ₹51.9

156.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.79

$0.73 ₹69.3

90.41%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.6

$0.83 ₹78.7

185.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿555

$7.56 ₹716

118.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.8

$3.03 ₹287

-11.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.6

$1.71 ₹162

40.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.01

$0.81 ₹76.5

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.63 ₹154

1.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.44 ₹42.05

254.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.61

$0.31 ₹29.28

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.53

$0.40 ₹38.23

172.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.61

$0.51 ₹48.72

49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.29

$0.28 ₹26.33

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$5.17 ₹489

-20.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿603

$7.05 ₹667

154.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$0.83 ₹79.0

95.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.9

$2.91 ₹276

-3.09%

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

$4.80 ₹454

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

$0.27 ₹25.62

244.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

$9.69 ₹917

445.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.56

$3.15 ₹298

-62.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.76

$0.26 ₹24.58

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.44 ₹136

25.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.51

$1.09 ₹103

34.86%

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

$21.0K ฿706.4K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

86.23%

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

$26.5K ฿891.4K

$30.1K ₹2.8M

-11.92%

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

$62.6 ฿2,103

$25.91 ₹2,452

141.45%

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

$11.60 ฿390

$3.11 ₹295

272.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿683

$9.37 ₹886

116.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,274

$17.25 ₹1,632

119.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$1.03 ₹97.8

259.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$3.08 ₹291

111.36%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$111 ₹10.5K

557.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

$3,162 ₹299.2K

424.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,800

$32.55 ₹3,080

64.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿834

$34.98 ₹3,310

-29.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,039

$60.0 ₹5,678

50.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,420

$28.54 ₹2,701

152.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$212 ₹20.1K

126.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$190 ₹18.0K

63.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.6K

$598 ₹56.6K

76.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$382 ₹36.1K

72.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

$1,452 ₹137.5K

66.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

$1,083 ₹102.5K

48.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$307 ₹29.1K

93.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.12

-38.93%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Goa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Goa

$190 36.6% 38.8% $120

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Goa

$110 21.3% 53.3% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Goa

$70 13.5% 35.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Goa

$38 7.4% 59.4% $56

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Goa

$71 13.8% 6.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Goa

$15 2.9% 74.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Goa

$23 4.5% 54% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $212 in Goa. 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 94% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Goa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $110 – making Goa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Goa

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

01:56 1:56 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,458,545

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.57 USD

1,000 INR = 9.39 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 94.64 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Goa 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Goa

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 Goa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 80% more than Goa, 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 $778 in Goa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Goa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $212 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $111 in Goa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 114% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $519 in Goa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Goa costs $519 versus $935 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Goa. 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.