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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $866 per month in Chiang Mai vs $351 in Rajahmundry, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Chiang Mai vs $551 in Rajahmundry, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,835 per month in Chiang Mai vs $750 in Rajahmundry, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 147% more than Rajahmundry, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Rajahmundry are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 35% lower, Rajahmundry 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.5

$1.43 ₹136

35.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$11.41 ₹1,087

63.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿255

$4.24 ₹404

84.43%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.8

$1.30 ₹124

50.00%

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

$0.85 ฿27.77

$0.36 ₹34.00

136.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.58

$0.12 ₹11.04

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.6

$2.05 ₹195

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.35 ₹319

11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.81 ₹76.9

111.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.2

$0.52 ₹49.24

213.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.15

$0.62 ₹59.1

83.87%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.1

$0.87 ₹83.2

121.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$5.32 ₹507

204.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.06 ₹291

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.0

$0.96 ₹91.5

186.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.52

$0.56 ₹53.8

116.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.91 ₹87.0

78.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.55 ₹52.0

189.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.70

$0.44 ₹42.36

218.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.17

$0.49 ₹46.93

138.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.60

$0.48 ₹45.98

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.22

$0.30 ₹28.20

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$2.35 ₹224

99.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿609

$5.26 ₹501

254.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.36 ₹130

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.72 ₹164

87.79%

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

$2.99 ₹285

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.26

$0.37 ₹34.96

143.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$8.54 ₹813

124.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.91

$1.19 ₹113

18.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$2.27 ₹216

245.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.58

$1.22 ₹116

4.10%

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

$21.3K ฿694.9K

$15.2K ₹1.4M

40.12%

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

$22.2K ฿725.4K

$24.5K ₹2.3M

-9.50%

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

$69.1 ฿2,256

$36.88 ₹3,513

87.28%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$2.55 ₹243

452.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$5.85 ₹557

207.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,341

$8.70 ₹829

371.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$7.15 ₹681

-2.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.60 ₹248

127.69%

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

$299 ฿9,766

$66.1 ₹6,299

352.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.3K

$1,761 ₹167.8K

748.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,787

$5.70 ₹543

859.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿874

$28.38 ₹2,703

-5.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,776

$38.48 ₹3,665

120.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,306

$34.41 ₹3,277

105.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$112 ₹10.7K

281.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,752

$82.1 ₹7,822

189.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$212 ₹20.2K

277.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.8K

$150 ₹14.3K

244.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$970 ₹92.4K

103.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$520 ₹49.5K

183.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$422 ₹40.2K

46.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.3

-39.76%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rajahmundry: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $112 in Rajahmundry. 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 46% 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 $11.00 in Rajahmundry. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $94.0 – making Rajahmundry 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 Rajahmundry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 147% more than Rajahmundry, 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 $1,300 per month in Chiang Mai and $526 in Rajahmundry. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $299 per month in Chiang Mai and $66.1 in Rajahmundry. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 163% 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.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Chiang Mai and $351 in Rajahmundry, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rajahmundry costs $351 versus $866 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 Rajahmundry. 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.