Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kharagpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kharagpur: $312 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Kharagpur
Learn more

Kharagpur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kharagpur

🇮🇳 India

$312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $312 in Kharagpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kharagpur $312

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $482 in Kharagpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kharagpur $482

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $653 in Kharagpur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kharagpur $653

Chiang Mai costs about 201% more than Kharagpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Kharagpur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kharagpur 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$1.39 ₹132

62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$8.23 ₹782

133.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.60 ₹342

55.28%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$0.88 ₹84.0

95.45%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.44 ₹41.34

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.14 ₹13.17

135.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.59 ₹151

48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.08 ₹292

26.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.49 ₹46.21

318.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.41 ₹38.49

241.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.54 ₹51.1

137.04%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.89 ₹84.8

152.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$3.28 ₹312

416.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$2.60 ₹246

5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.93 ₹183

24.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.35 ₹33.41

188.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.23 ₹116

30.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.38 ₹36.44

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.11 ₹10.44

1063.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.22 ₹20.91

404.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.48 ₹45.55

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.30 ₹28.33

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.95 ₹470

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.97 ₹757

122.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.92 ₹182

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.41 ₹229

18.26%

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

$6.92 ₹657

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.27 ₹25.68

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.03 ₹98.2

13.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.22 ₹20.93

159.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.03 ₹193

16.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.08 ₹102

34.26%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$10.4K ₹990.6K

96.28%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$20.9K ₹2.0M

27.13%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$38.07 ₹3,615

63.72%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.15 ₹299

289.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$6.92 ₹657

188.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.87 ₹273

133.80%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$25.86 ₹2,455

2982.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$774 ₹73.5K

1815.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.74 ₹2,159

134.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$25.99 ₹2,468

-3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$47.66 ₹4,525

92.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$31.86 ₹3,025

130.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$80.5 ₹7,639

476.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$55.4 ₹5,261

449.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$180 ₹17.1K

408.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$126 ₹12.0K

337.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$368 ₹34.9K

419.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$284 ₹26.9K

407.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$235 ₹22.4K

152.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.6

-35.23%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kharagpur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kharagpur

$55 17.8% 81.8% $249

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kharagpur

$93 29.7% 61.1% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kharagpur

$58 18.5% 47.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kharagpur

$48 15.4% 49.1% $46

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kharagpur

$49 15.7% 38.1% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kharagpur

$3.2 * 1% 94.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kharagpur

$5.7 * 1.8% 88.8% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $80.5 in Kharagpur. 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 153% 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 $8.00 in Kharagpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $93.0 – making Kharagpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Kharagpur

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

00:30 12:30 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

207,600

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Kharagpur 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kharagpur

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 Kharagpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 201% more than Kharagpur, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $468 in Kharagpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $8.00 in Kharagpur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 157% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kharagpur, where all-in costs run around $312, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kharagpur 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. Kharagpur costs $312 versus $938 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 Kharagpur. 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.