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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $932 per month in Chiang Mai vs $366 in Raiganj, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,399 per month in Chiang Mai vs $576 in Raiganj, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $787 in Raiganj, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Raiganj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Raiganj are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Raiganj 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿69.5

$2.28 ₹219

-8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 ฿655

$10.35 ₹993

89.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ฿189

$3.52 ₹338

61.08%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$1.53 ₹147

18.30%

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

$0.77 ฿25.65

$0.39 ₹37.01

97.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.53

$0.14 ₹13.61

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ฿73.9

$1.81 ₹174

22.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 ฿127

$3.32 ₹318

14.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.62 ₹59.0

230.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.49 ₹46.56

208.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.69

$0.62 ₹59.5

125.81%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.92 ₹88.0

145.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿540

$4.59 ₹441

252.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 ฿96.7

$2.98 ₹286

-2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ฿89.4

$1.79 ₹171

49.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.37

$0.77 ₹73.9

41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.0

$0.81 ₹77.5

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.74

$0.45 ₹43.00

224.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.65

$0.37 ₹35.78

245.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.31

$0.43 ₹41.45

146.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.94

$0.41 ₹38.96

75.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.56

$0.30 ₹28.98

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.23 ฿141

$4.28 ₹411

-1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.29 ฿611

$8.12 ₹779

125.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.56 ₹150

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 ฿96.8

$2.73 ₹262

6.23%

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

$4.45 ₹427

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.32

$0.29 ₹27.59

203.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ฿1,795

$6.81 ₹653

689.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$0.75 ₹71.9

56.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿19.30

$0.26 ₹25.19

123.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 ฿79.6

$1.33 ₹127

79.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.41

$1.09 ₹105

33.03%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$12.8K ₹1.2M

63.83%

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

$26.4K ฿882.0K

$16.9K ₹1.6M

56.52%

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

$63.7 ฿2,125

$32.61 ₹3,129

95.19%

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

$12.89 ฿430

$3.20 ₹307

302.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ฿685

$6.71 ₹644

205.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 ฿1,302

$12.00 ₹1,152

225.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 ฿131

$6.47 ₹621

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿220

$2.54 ₹244

159.06%

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

$784 ฿26.2K

$53.0 ₹5,083

1379.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿489.8K

$1,438 ₹138.0K

920.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 ฿1,840

$18.71 ₹1,795

194.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ฿826

$23.35 ₹2,241

5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ฿3,142

$35.98 ₹3,452

161.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 ฿2,469

$26.15 ₹2,509

182.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.4K

$135 ₹12.9K

263.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 ฿9,620

$64.2 ₹6,158

349.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 ฿29.8K

$240 ₹23.0K

271.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 ฿17.4K

$192 ₹18.4K

171.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,974 ฿65.9K

$1,038 ₹99.6K

90.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 ฿48.2K

$510 ₹49.0K

183.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: September 13, 2026

Last update for Raiganj: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Chiang Mai versus $135 in Raiganj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $10.00 in Raiganj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $102 – making Raiganj 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 Raiganj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 155% more than Raiganj, 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 $1,398 per month in Chiang Mai and $548 in Raiganj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $784 per month in Chiang Mai and $53.0 in Raiganj. 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.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Raiganj, where all-in costs run around $366, than in Chiang Mai at $932. In Raiganj 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. Raiganj costs $366 versus $932 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 Raiganj. 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.