Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
Learn more

Lucknow Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $396 in Lucknow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Lucknow $396

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $621 in Lucknow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Lucknow $621

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $846 in Lucknow, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Lucknow $846

Chiang Mai costs about 136% more than Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Lucknow are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lucknow 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.86 ₹176

20.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$10.62 ₹1,009

78.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.23 ₹307

71.83%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.57 ₹149

6.37%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.44 ₹41.97

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.13 ₹12.29

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.56 ₹148

51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.26 ₹214

61.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$0.70 ₹66.6

178.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.47 ₹44.92

206.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.59 ₹55.9

125.42%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.02 ₹96.4

123.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.32 ₹315

395.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.51 ₹239

10.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.79 ₹170

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.66 ₹63.1

46.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.96 ₹91.0

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.47 ₹44.75

219.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.30 ₹28.11

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.42 ₹39.45

161.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.42 ₹39.88

69.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.30 ₹28.36

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.90 ₹465

-15.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$8.57 ₹814

104.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.66 ₹158

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.63 ₹249

5.70%

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

$5.72 ₹543

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.43 ₹41.10

102.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$9.07 ₹861

496.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.98 ₹93.4

18.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.20 ₹18.95

165.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$1.14 ₹108

112.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$1.14 ₹108

27.19%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

89.57%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$22.0K ₹2.1M

22.56%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$54.2 ₹5,149

14.64%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.74 ₹356

225.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$8.66 ₹822

132.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$15.88 ₹1,508

134.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.69 ₹635

-43.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.20 ₹304

102.81%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$38.90 ₹3,693

1792.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$979 ₹92.9K

1408.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$23.41 ₹2,223

127.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$25.07 ₹2,381

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$38.75 ₹3,679

136.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$25.60 ₹2,431

181.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$133 ₹12.6K

263.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$87.7 ₹8,324

252.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$356 ₹33.8K

182.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$212 ₹20.1K

198.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,124 ₹106.7K

110.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$606 ₹57.5K

162.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$331 ₹31.5K

77.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.53

-34.70%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 71.6% $221

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 58.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 53.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 29.5% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 25.2% $20

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 79.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 55.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $133 in Lucknow. 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 78% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Lucknow. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $98 – making Lucknow the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,588,455

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Lucknow 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lucknow

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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 136% more than Lucknow, 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 $594 in Lucknow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucknow, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $133 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $39 in Lucknow. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Lucknow – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lucknow. 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.