Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Rai and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $522 a month against $710 in Chiang Rai, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Rai
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Chiang Rai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

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Chiang Rai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$710

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Rai and in Delhi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Rai and in Delhi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $710 in Chiang Rai versus $522 in Delhi.

Chiang Rai $710
Delhi $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Chiang Rai versus $872 in Delhi.

Chiang Rai $1,133
Delhi $872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Chiang Rai versus $1,222 in Delhi.

Chiang Rai $1,556
Delhi $1,222

Living in Chiang Rai is roughly 36% more expensive than in Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Rai 47% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 ฿73.1

$3.70 ₹351

-40.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.08 ฿504

$21.05 ₹1,999

-28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$3.73 ₹354

46.65%

Cappuccino

$1.32 ฿44.11

$2.35 ₹223

-43.83%

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

$0.64 ฿21.44

$0.37 ₹35.21

72.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ฿8.97

$0.15 ₹13.93

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.60 ฿53.5

$2.14 ₹203

-25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.06 ₹291

19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ฿66.4

$0.69 ₹65.1

188.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.49

$0.53 ₹50.0

173.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 ฿38.71

$0.77 ₹73.1

50.65%

Eggs

$1.91 ฿63.7

$1.11 ₹105

72.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.63 ฿556

$4.63 ₹440

259.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.52 ₹334

-20.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ฿303

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

$2.00 ₹190

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 ฿28.60

$0.74 ₹70.5

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.4

$0.97 ₹92.6

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ฿31.22

$0.53 ₹49.92

75.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ฿40.89

$0.30 ₹28.61

306.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.52

$0.40 ₹37.82

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 ฿25.83

$0.42 ₹39.62

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.44

$0.31 ₹29.81

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ฿126

$4.94 ₹469

-23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.03 ฿603

$8.21 ₹779

119.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.7

$1.58 ₹150

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿92.0

$2.69 ₹255

2.23%

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

$6.19 ₹588

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ฿28.01

$0.46 ₹43.46

82.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.09 ฿738

$15.78 ₹1,498

39.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.68

$1.07 ₹102

14.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.76

$0.27 ₹25.66

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿80.8

$1.58 ₹150

53.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.94

$1.07 ₹101

25.23%

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

$21.0K ฿702.0K

$10.7K ₹1.0M

97.08%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

41.52%

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

$61.2 ฿2,046

$42.37 ₹4,024

44.51%

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

$12.51 ฿418

$4.03 ₹383

210.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.60 ฿455

$6.95 ₹660

95.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 ฿1,191

$19.18 ₹1,821

85.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 ฿196

$7.92 ₹752

-26.14%

Cinema Ticket

$2.95 ฿98.5

$5.27 ₹500

-44.02%

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

$783 ฿26.2K

$100 ₹9,525

680.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ฿492.1K

$2,247 ₹213.4K

555.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ฿1,849

$24.11 ₹2,290

129.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.42 ฿816

$27.85 ₹2,645

-12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 ฿2,530

$52.4 ₹4,977

44.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 ฿2,393

$42.90 ₹4,074

66.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 ฿7,613

$267 ₹25.4K

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ฿5,047

$156 ₹14.8K

-3.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$734 ₹69.7K

-30.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ฿12.0K

$394 ₹37.5K

-9.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,911 ฿63.9K

$2,507 ₹238.0K

-23.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$967 ฿32.3K

$1,020 ₹96.8K

-5.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$583 ฿19.5K

$608 ₹57.7K

-3.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Rai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Rai

$230 32.4%

Delhi

$109 20.9% 52.7% $121

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Rai

$151 21.3%

Delhi

$156 29.9% 3.2% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Rai

$102 14.4%

Delhi

$66 12.7% 35.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Rai

$87 12.3%

Delhi

$53 10.2% 38.9% $34

Eating Out

Chiang Rai

$69 9.7%

Delhi

$88 16.8% 27.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Rai

$42 5.9%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 28.5% $12

Getting Around

Chiang Rai

$29 4.1%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 31.7% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Chiang Rai and $267 in Delhi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delhi pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Chiang Rai vs $21.00 in Delhi. Groceries flip the comparison at $230 vs $109, with Delhi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Rai

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Rai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,672

16,787,941 Capital

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Rai Delhi 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Rai
Delhi

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 Rai vs Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Rai and Delhi differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($710 vs $522 including rent). Delhi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Delhi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $228 in Chiang Rai versus $267 in Delhi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $783 in Chiang Rai versus $100 in Delhi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Chiang Rai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Delhi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chiang Rai and Delhi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Chiang Rai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.