Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Visakhapatnam

For one person, living is cheaper in Visakhapatnam: $375 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Visakhapatnam
Learn more

Visakhapatnam Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Visakhapatnam

🇮🇳 India

$375

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $375 in Visakhapatnam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Visakhapatnam $375

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $588 in Visakhapatnam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Visakhapatnam $588

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $802 in Visakhapatnam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Visakhapatnam $802

Chiang Mai costs about 150% more than Visakhapatnam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Visakhapatnam are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Visakhapatnam 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.10 ₹199

7.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$8.27 ₹785

131.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.56 ₹433

22.59%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.68 ₹159

2.38%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.30 ₹28.34

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.09 ₹8.08

266.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$2.15 ₹204

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$3.04 ₹289

28.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.73 ₹69.7

180.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.52 ₹49.71

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.61 ₹57.7

109.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$0.82 ₹77.8

174.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$5.67 ₹538

198.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.23 ₹307

-15.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.53 ₹240

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.66 ₹62.4

53.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.02 ₹96.7

57.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.39 ₹37.35

289.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.38 ₹36.21

236.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.38 ₹36.19

192.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.55 ₹52.6

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.32 ₹30.63

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.47 ₹425

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$9.06 ₹860

95.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.63 ₹155

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.22 ₹305

-11.49%

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

$4.43 ₹421

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.20 ₹18.99

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$13.54 ₹1,286

298.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.04 ₹98.5

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.17 ₹16.03

235.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.66 ₹253

-10.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.13 ₹107

28.32%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$13.3K ₹1.3M

53.61%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$21.7K ₹2.1M

22.12%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$33.19 ₹3,152

87.80%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$3.50 ₹332

250.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$5.25 ₹499

280.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$17.97 ₹1,706

110.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$6.41 ₹609

-41.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.59 ₹246

159.07%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$49.93 ₹4,742

1496.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$1,566 ₹148.7K

847.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.87 ₹2,171

132.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$21.16 ₹2,009

18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$29.75 ₹2,825

207.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$30.97 ₹2,941

137.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$147 ₹14.0K

215.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$62.5 ₹5,937

387.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$357 ₹33.9K

156.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$146 ₹13.8K

279.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$925 ₹87.8K

106.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$470 ₹44.6K

206.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$351 ₹33.3K

69.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.58

-35.08%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Visakhapatnam: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Visakhapatnam

$63 16.7% 79.5% $242

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Visakhapatnam

$115 30.6% 51.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Visakhapatnam

$47 12.6% 57% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Visakhapatnam

$42 11.2% 55.6% $53

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Visakhapatnam

$69 18.4% 12.7% $10

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Visakhapatnam

$16 4.3% 73.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Visakhapatnam

$23 6.2% 54.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $147 in Visakhapatnam. 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 70% 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 $8.00 in Visakhapatnam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $115 – making Visakhapatnam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Visakhapatnam

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

17:54 5:54 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,526,000

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Visakhapatnam 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Visakhapatnam

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 Visakhapatnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 150% more than Visakhapatnam, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $562 in Visakhapatnam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $49.93 in Visakhapatnam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 107% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Visakhapatnam, where all-in costs run around $375, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Visakhapatnam 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. Visakhapatnam costs $375 versus $938 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 Visakhapatnam. 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.