Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karad and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Karad: $475 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karad
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Karad Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Karad

🇮🇳 India

$475

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $475 per month in Karad vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karad $475
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $742 per month in Karad vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karad $742
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,010 per month in Karad vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karad $1,010
Chiang Mai $1,979

Karad is about 49% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karad and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karad 65% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 ₹205

$2.24 ฿75.6

-3.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.60 ₹1,007

$19.00 ฿641

-44.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₹388

$5.55 ฿187

-26.31%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ₹265

$1.67 ฿56.5

67.07%

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

$0.38 ₹36.02

$0.64 ฿21.54

-40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.22

$0.31 ฿10.31

-54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ₹253

$2.36 ฿79.5

13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₹407

$3.66 ฿124

16.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 ₹66.0

$1.95 ฿65.7

-64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.0

$1.44 ฿48.46

-62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.0

$1.33 ฿45.03

-45.11%

Eggs

$1.00 ₹95.3

$2.28 ฿77.1

-56.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 ₹521

$16.45 ฿555

-66.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ₹338

$2.78 ฿93.9

28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₹203

$2.35 ฿79.4

-8.94%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.4

$0.97 ฿32.79

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ₹119

$1.60 ฿53.9

-21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹49.46

$1.50 ฿50.6

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹34.68

$1.28 ฿43.11

-71.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.24

$1.10 ฿37.18

-63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 ₹38.67

$0.71 ฿23.82

-42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.32

$0.49 ฿16.36

-40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.01 ₹476

$4.14 ฿140

21.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 ₹818

$17.52 ฿591

-50.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₹185

$1.61 ฿54.5

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₹305

$2.78 ฿93.9

15.47%

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

$6.24 ₹593

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.69

$0.87 ฿29.30

-74.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.90 ₹750

$54.1 ฿1,825

-85.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 ₹30.00

$1.16 ฿39.04

-72.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ₹29.10

$0.53 ฿17.80

-41.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₹154

$2.42 ฿81.7

-33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₹108

$1.45 ฿48.88

-21.38%

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

$16.0K ₹1.5M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-23.93%

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

$22.2K ₹2.1M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-17.46%

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

$62.1 ₹5,893

$62.2 ฿2,098

-0.18%

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

$4.56 ₹433

$12.17 ฿411

-62.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.25 ₹879

$20.12 ฿679

-54.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.64 ₹1,390

$37.31 ฿1,259

-60.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 ₹575

$3.77 ฿127

60.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.88 ₹463

$6.49 ฿219

-24.81%

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

$45.31 ₹4,302

$736 ฿24.8K

-93.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,409 ₹133.7K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-90.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.24 ₹3,346

$53.4 ฿1,801

-33.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.36 ₹3,642

$24.64 ฿831

55.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 ₹5,220

$91.5 ฿3,087

-39.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.39 ₹4,405

$71.9 ฿2,427

-35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$119 ₹11.3K

$482 ฿16.3K

-75.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.6 ₹7,747

$309 ฿10.4K

-73.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₹23.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ₹19.6K

$633 ฿21.4K

-67.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$995 ₹94.4K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-57.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$575 ₹54.6K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-63.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.29

5.57

48.83%

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

Last update for Karad: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karad

$117 24.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 101% $118

Eating Out

Karad

$87 18.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 10.8% $9.4

Accommodation & Living

Karad

$82 17.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 279% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Karad

$79 16.6%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 38% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karad

$76 16%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Karad

$24 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 106% $26

Getting Around

Karad

$11 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 478% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $119 in Karad versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 $11 in Karad versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $117 vs $234 – making Karad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Karad

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Karad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,900

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karad Chiang Mai 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karad
Chiang Mai

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

Karad vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 97% more than Karad, 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 $712 per month in Karad and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $119 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $45 per month in Karad and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 101% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $475 in Karad and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Karad is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.