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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $848 per month in Chiang Mai vs $358 in Unnao, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,331 per month in Chiang Mai vs $564 in Unnao, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,814 per month in Chiang Mai vs $771 in Unnao, rent included.

Chiang Mai costs about 137% more than Unnao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Chiang Mai and Unnao are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 36% lower, Unnao 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿64.1

$0.68 ₹64.1

188.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.39 ฿603

$11.45 ₹1,080

60.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 ฿258

$3.57 ₹337

120.45%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.53 ₹144

27.45%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.29 ₹27.49

193.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.61

$0.13 ₹12.03

146.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿70.2

$1.44 ₹136

48.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿121

$2.25 ₹212

63.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿54.4

$0.67 ₹62.9

147.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ฿51.1

$0.40 ₹37.43

290.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿38.95

$0.46 ₹43.44

158.70%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿65.2

$0.95 ₹89.4

109.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 ฿532

$2.94 ₹277

452.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ฿104

$2.80 ₹264

13.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿355

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 ฿87.0

$1.42 ₹134

86.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.00

$0.56 ₹52.7

117.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.1

$0.56 ₹53.1

194.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.7

$0.39 ₹37.03

297.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ฿43.53

$0.24 ₹22.62

454.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.75

$0.36 ₹34.37

236.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ฿22.22

$0.69 ₹65.1

-1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.54

$0.28 ₹26.26

103.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.68 ฿154

$4.03 ₹380

16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿557

$7.74 ₹730

119.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.76 ₹166

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ฿104

$3.29 ₹310

-3.34%

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

$5.65 ₹533

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿29.70

$0.30 ₹28.39

203.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.74 ฿614

$8.48 ₹800

120.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿46.18

$0.61 ₹57.4

131.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿43.88

$0.10 ₹9.08

1240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 ฿267

$1.18 ₹112

589.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ฿41.88

$1.09 ₹103

17.43%

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

$21.8K ฿715.2K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

90.06%

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

$22.4K ฿734.1K

$17.0K ₹1.6M

31.89%

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

$70.5 ฿2,310

$51.4 ₹4,848

37.12%

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

$14.05 ฿460

$3.24 ₹306

333.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.65 ฿578

$5.66 ₹534

211.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.29 ฿1,353

$15.83 ₹1,493

160.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ฿222

$7.05 ₹665

-4.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 ฿195

$1.18 ₹111

405.08%

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

$303 ฿9,928

$36.47 ₹3,440

730.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿490.2K

$711 ₹67.1K

2003.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,793

$23.57 ₹2,223

132.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ฿861

$31.31 ₹2,953

-16.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 ฿2,811

$39.27 ₹3,704

118.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ฿2,284

$18.53 ₹1,748

276.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$125 ₹11.8K

242.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿7,834

$77.7 ₹7,328

207.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 ฿26.6K

$272 ₹25.7K

197.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ฿16.7K

$181 ₹17.1K

181.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,025 ฿66.4K

$1,013 ₹95.6K

99.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,502 ฿49.2K

$455 ₹42.9K

229.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$623 ฿20.4K

$267 ₹25.1K

133.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.49

-41.11%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 13, 2026

Last update for Unnao: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $428 in Chiang Mai versus $125 in Unnao. 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 134% 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 $18.00 in Chiang Mai versus $11.00 in Unnao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $92.0 – making Unnao 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 Unnao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 137% more than Unnao, 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 $1,272 per month in Chiang Mai and $537 in Unnao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Chiang Mai and $36.47 in Unnao. 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $848 in Chiang Mai and $358 in Unnao, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Unnao costs $358 versus $848 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 Unnao. 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.