Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $990 in Thailand, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Thailand
Learn more

Thailand Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇹🇭 Thailand

$990

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thailand and in India

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Thailand versus $399 in India.

Thailand $990
India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Thailand versus $639 in India.

Thailand $1,614
India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Thailand versus $879 in India.

Thailand $2,238
India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in Thailand: monthly costs span $608 to $2,241, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Thailand.

Living in Thailand is roughly 148% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Thailand 27% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ฿101

$2.14 ₹204

39.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.37 ฿891

$10.46 ₹995

152.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 ฿226

$3.80 ₹361

76.05%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿68.1

$1.68 ₹160

20.24%

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

$0.66 ฿22.20

$0.38 ₹35.99

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.12

$0.15 ₹14.60

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 ฿76.5

$1.87 ₹178

20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.18 ₹303

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$0.62 ₹59.2

188.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ฿45.15

$0.50 ₹47.76

168.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 ฿41.38

$0.63 ₹60.3

95.24%

Eggs

$2.03 ฿68.5

$0.96 ₹91.3

111.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 ฿560

$4.85 ₹461

241.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 ฿101

$2.84 ₹271

4.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ฿366

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ฿100

$2.00 ₹190

48.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ฿42.44

$0.65 ₹61.4

93.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.5

$0.97 ₹92.3

109.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 ฿57.8

$0.47 ₹44.30

263.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.60

$0.34 ₹31.87

332.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.41

$0.42 ₹39.73

214.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ฿38.48

$0.47 ₹44.39

142.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.33

$0.31 ₹29.67

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿144

$5.08 ₹483

-15.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 ฿574

$7.31 ₹695

132.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.63 ₹155

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿92.7

$2.76 ₹262

-0.72%

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

$5.11 ₹486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 ฿30.87

$0.26 ₹24.86

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.94 ฿1,180

$8.58 ₹816

307.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.29

$1.00 ₹94.7

16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.27 ₹25.74

329.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 ฿195

$1.54 ₹146

274.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.32

$1.07 ₹102

25.23%

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

$30.7K ฿1.0M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

173.37%

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

$26.6K ฿897.6K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

32.57%

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

$81.7 ฿2,760

$37.08 ₹3,527

120.42%

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

$12.47 ฿421

$3.58 ₹340

248.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.20 ฿615

$7.15 ₹680

154.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 ฿1,694

$15.00 ₹1,427

234.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.64 ฿393

$7.17 ₹682

62.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ฿216

$3.20 ₹304

100.31%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$58.8 ₹5,592

848.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ฿415.7K

$1,667 ₹158.5K

638.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ฿1,766

$23.03 ₹2,191

127.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.83 ฿1,075

$24.17 ₹2,299

31.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ฿2,980

$41.20 ₹3,918

114.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 ฿2,651

$29.62 ₹2,817

165.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ฿16.7K

$146 ₹13.9K

237.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ฿10.8K

$96.4 ₹9,165

231.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ฿45.8K

$343 ₹32.6K

295.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 ฿26.0K

$234 ₹22.2K

229.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 ฿122.0K

$1,177 ₹111.9K

206.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,072 ฿70.0K

$633 ₹60.2K

227.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 ฿19.0K

$409 ₹38.9K

37.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

8.93

-36.51%

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

Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thailand

$320 32.3%

India

$96 24.1% 69.9% $223

Groceries & Markets

Thailand

$246 24.8%

India

$102 25.6% 58.4% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Thailand

$113 11.4%

India

$53 13.3% 53% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thailand

$112 11.4%

India

$48 12% 57.5% $65

Eating Out

Thailand

$91 9.2%

India

$67 16.7% 26.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Thailand

$63 6.4%

India

$21 5.4% 66% $42

Getting Around

Thailand

$46 4.6%

India

$12 3% 73.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $463 in Thailand, $120 in India. Capital cities: $713 in Bangkok vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $612 in Thailand, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 286% higher in Thailand.

Dining out costs 145% more in Thailand.

Public transport is 438% more expensive in Thailand.

Salaries are 49% higher in Thailand, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Thailand

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h 30 min behind Thailand

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,188,503

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Thailand India 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Thailand
India

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

Thailand vs India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $990 in Thailand, there’s a 148% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $463 in Thailand and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Thailand it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Thailand may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.