Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rudrapur

For one person, living is cheaper in Rudrapur: $296 a month against $925 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
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Rudrapur
Learn more

Rudrapur Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Rudrapur

🇮🇳 India

$296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $296 in Rudrapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Rudrapur $296

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $478 in Rudrapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Rudrapur $478

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $660 in Rudrapur, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Rudrapur $660

Chiang Mai costs about 213% more than Rudrapur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Rudrapur are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Rudrapur 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$1.42 ₹135

61.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$5.34 ₹507

267.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.74 ₹355

50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.07 ₹102

55.14%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.30 ₹28.21

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.06 ₹5.91

416.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.47 ₹139

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.10 ₹199

76.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.65 ₹61.6

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.38 ₹36.54

271.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.57 ₹54.2

129.82%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.72 ₹68.8

202.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$5.31 ₹505

213.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$1.78 ₹169

55.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.33 ₹126

79.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.50 ₹47.83

106.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.46 ₹43.26

254.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.38 ₹35.88

294.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.19 ₹17.61

578.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.19 ₹18.10

484.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.22 ₹20.92

227.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.27 ₹25.51

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.69 ₹255

60.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$8.61 ₹818

108.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.46 ₹139

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$1.85 ₹175

53.51%

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

$2.07 ₹197

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.25 ₹23.51

244.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.40 ₹702

620.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$1.03 ₹97.9

17.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.10 ₹9.58

470.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.61 ₹153

45.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.07 ₹101

34.58%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$12.9K ₹1.2M

60.10%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

51.52%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$21.02 ₹1,996

196.53%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.61 ₹343

235.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$7.09 ₹673

181.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$10.60 ₹1,007

249.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$6.57 ₹624

-42.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$1.87 ₹178

247.59%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$39.36 ₹3,738

1913.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,267 ₹120.4K

1068.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$15.72 ₹1,492

241.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$25.99 ₹2,468

-5.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$38.34 ₹3,640

136.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$15.96 ₹1,515

345.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$82.2 ₹7,807

453.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$61.2 ₹5,814

386.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$266 ₹25.3K

241.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$172 ₹16.3K

222.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$957 ₹90.9K

101.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$528 ₹50.2K

173.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$320 ₹30.4K

84.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.88

-37.27%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Rudrapur: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Rudrapur

$61 20.7% 79.4% $237

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Rudrapur

$87 29.4% 63.1% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Rudrapur

$43 14.6% 60.1% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Rudrapur

$32 10.7% 66.4% $63

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Rudrapur

$48 16.4% 38.4% $30

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rudrapur

$9.9 3.4% 83.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rudrapur

$14 4.9% 71.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $82.2 in Rudrapur. 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 84% 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $5.00 in Rudrapur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $87.0 – making Rudrapur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Rudrapur

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

18:04 6:04 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

140,857

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rudrapur 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rudrapur

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 Rudrapur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 213% more than Rudrapur, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $444 in Rudrapur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $39.36 in Rudrapur. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 171% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rudrapur, where all-in costs run around $296, than in Chiang Mai at $925. In Rudrapur 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. Rudrapur costs $296 versus $925 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 Rudrapur. 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.