Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Zaheerabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaheerabad: $397 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Zaheerabad
Learn more

Zaheerabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Zaheerabad

🇮🇳 India

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $397 in Zaheerabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Zaheerabad $397

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $631 in Zaheerabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Zaheerabad $631

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $865 in Zaheerabad, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Zaheerabad $865

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Zaheerabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Zaheerabad are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Zaheerabad 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.59 ₹245

-17.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$10.68 ₹1,012

74.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$5.13 ₹486

9.16%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$2.28 ₹216

-27.19%

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

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.45 ₹42.33

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.14 ₹13.34

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$2.04 ₹194

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$4.19 ₹397

-12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.33 ₹31.41

512.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.27 ₹25.63

422.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$0.40 ₹38.02

247.50%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$0.73 ₹69.5

224.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.90 ₹654

139.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$3.09 ₹293

-13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$1.60 ₹152

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$0.52 ₹48.93

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.65 ₹61.7

155.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.47 ₹44.87

231.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.43 ₹40.55

188.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.31 ₹29.01

251.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.52 ₹48.92

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.32 ₹30.45

59.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$4.90 ₹465

-15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$8.56 ₹811

109.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.83 ₹173

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.62 ₹248

7.63%

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

$6.44 ₹610

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.23 ₹21.83

304.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$7.11 ₹673

643.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$0.90 ₹85.6

31.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.54 ₹51.2

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$0.65 ₹61.7

178.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$1.13 ₹107

30.09%

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

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

78.86%

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

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$23.0K ₹2.2M

15.45%

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

$62.6 ฿2,110

$35.01 ₹3,317

78.69%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$4.31 ₹408

169.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$7.80 ₹739

160.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$14.43 ₹1,367

162.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$6.63 ₹628

-44.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$3.16 ₹300

106.01%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$46.60 ₹4,415

1460.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$2,805 ₹265.7K

490.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$21.91 ₹2,075

144.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$20.79 ₹1,970

19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$42.50 ₹4,026

112.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$34.90 ₹3,306

106.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$118 ₹11.2K

307.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$77.3 ₹7,324

300.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$264 ₹25.0K

300.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$189 ₹17.9K

248.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$939 ₹88.9K

157.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$528 ₹50.0K

204.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.55

-34.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Zaheerabad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Zaheerabad

$77 19.5% 75.1% $233

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Zaheerabad

$102 25.7% 56.8% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Zaheerabad

$54 13.6% 50.1% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Zaheerabad

$47 11.9% 50.1% $47

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Zaheerabad

$84 21.3% 10.3% $7.9

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Zaheerabad

$12 2.9% 80.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Zaheerabad

$21 5.2% 59.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $118 in Zaheerabad. 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 $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Zaheerabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $102 – making Zaheerabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Zaheerabad

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

16:26 4:26 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

71,166

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.56 USD

1,000 INR = 9.42 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 94.73 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.42 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Zaheerabad 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Zaheerabad

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 Zaheerabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 135% more than Zaheerabad, 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 $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $596 in Zaheerabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaheerabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $118 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $47 in Zaheerabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $397 in Zaheerabad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zaheerabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Zaheerabad is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 58% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.