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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $852 per month in Chiang Mai vs $386 in Hardoi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Chiang Mai vs $609 in Hardoi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,867 per month in Chiang Mai vs $833 in Hardoi, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 121% more than Hardoi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Hardoi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Hardoi 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ฿68.3

$2.38 ₹227

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 ฿625

$10.40 ₹992

79.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 ฿262

$3.76 ₹358

109.04%

Cappuccino

$2.03 ฿67.8

$1.60 ₹153

26.87%

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

$0.80 ฿26.67

$0.37 ₹35.53

116.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.69

$0.15 ₹14.01

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.6

$1.76 ₹168

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.11 ₹296

18.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.65 ₹62.0

166.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.5

$0.46 ₹43.66

241.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.04

$0.71 ₹67.2

69.01%

Eggs

$1.97 ฿65.9

$0.88 ₹84.4

123.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.23 ฿542

$4.98 ₹474

225.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.06 ฿102

$3.03 ₹289

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 ฿361

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ฿92.5

$1.99 ₹189

39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.99

$0.68 ₹64.4

72.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.0

$0.98 ₹93.2

74.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿53.2

$0.54 ₹51.5

194.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.56

$0.36 ₹34.01

286.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.61

$0.42 ₹40.00

176.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿22.08

$0.45 ₹43.32

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.33

$0.34 ₹32.87

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 ฿155

$4.05 ₹386

14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿594

$6.39 ₹609

178.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$1.69 ₹161

5.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.86 ₹273

16.78%

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

$5.23 ₹499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.30

$0.30 ₹28.78

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.64 ฿623

$8.93 ₹851

108.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿47.10

$0.79 ₹75.2

78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.76

$0.26 ₹24.92

415.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 ฿271

$1.42 ₹136

471.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ฿41.21

$1.16 ₹111

6.03%

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

$21.4K ฿715.9K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

52.47%

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

$21.8K ฿728.9K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

-1.17%

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

$71.3 ฿2,382

$39.69 ₹3,784

79.72%

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

$14.01 ฿468

$3.58 ₹341

291.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 ฿599

$7.19 ₹685

149.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.82 ฿1,363

$15.90 ₹1,516

156.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿230

$6.83 ₹651

0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 ฿191

$2.89 ₹276

97.92%

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

$308 ฿10.3K

$50.9 ₹4,847

506.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿490.3K

$1,536 ₹146.5K

855.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,863

$24.29 ₹2,316

129.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.04 ฿870

$24.84 ₹2,367

4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 ฿2,833

$42.36 ₹4,038

100.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 ฿2,371

$31.53 ₹3,006

125.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 ฿14.1K

$124 ₹11.8K

241.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ฿8,098

$77.4 ₹7,376

213.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$279 ₹26.6K

186.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ฿16.9K

$178 ₹16.9K

185.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ฿64.1K

$940 ₹89.6K

104.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 ฿48.9K

$557 ₹53.1K

163.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$290 ₹27.6K

105.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

-42.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hardoi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in Chiang Mai versus $124 in Hardoi. 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 105% 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 $10.00 in Hardoi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $103 – making Hardoi 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 Hardoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 121% more than Hardoi, 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 $1,279 per month in Chiang Mai and $579 in Hardoi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $308 per month in Chiang Mai and $50.9 in Hardoi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 137% 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.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $852 in Chiang Mai and $386 in Hardoi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hardoi costs $386 versus $852 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 Hardoi. 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.