Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vijayawada and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Vijayawada: $393 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Vijayawada
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Vijayawada Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Vijayawada

🇮🇳 India

$393

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $393 per month in Vijayawada vs $906 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vijayawada $393
Chiang Mai $906

A couple spends around $640 per month in Vijayawada vs $1,385 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vijayawada $640
Chiang Mai $1,385

A family of three spends $886 per month in Vijayawada vs $1,864 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Vijayawada $886
Chiang Mai $1,864

Vijayawada is about 57% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vijayawada and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Vijayawada 71% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₹148

$2.13 ฿71.4

-28.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.63 ₹835

$19.40 ฿649

-55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₹426

$5.47 ฿183

-19.56%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₹355

$1.68 ฿56.4

118.45%

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

$0.38 ₹36.44

$0.66 ฿22.10

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.67

$0.34 ฿11.52

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ₹177

$2.42 ฿81.0

-24.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₹217

$3.73 ฿125

-39.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ₹77.9

$2.06 ฿68.9

-61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹47.27

$1.46 ฿48.78

-66.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.61 ₹59.4

$1.35 ฿45.09

-54.81%

Eggs

$0.80 ₹77.9

$2.27 ฿76.0

-64.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.50 ₹629

$16.31 ฿546

-60.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.44 ₹236

$2.70 ฿90.3

-9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ₹172

$2.39 ฿80.1

-25.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$1.04 ฿34.66

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 ₹72.5

$1.60 ฿53.7

-53.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹41.74

$1.44 ฿48.37

-70.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 ₹39.09

$1.30 ฿43.59

-69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₹43.18

$1.11 ฿37.29

-59.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₹58.4

$0.70 ฿23.55

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹29.31

$0.51 ฿16.99

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 ₹486

$4.13 ฿138

21.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.11 ₹688

$17.78 ฿595

-60.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹183

$1.63 ฿54.7

15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 ₹301

$2.87 ฿96.0

8.36%

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

$3.26 ₹315

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₹28.02

$0.86 ฿28.76

-66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.82 ₹660

$53.2 ฿1,780

-87.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$1.22 ฿40.81

25.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ₹43.86

$0.56 ฿18.81

-19.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 ₹202

$2.31 ฿77.5

-9.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹108

$1.50 ฿50.2

-26.00%

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

$15.5K ₹1.5M

$20.9K ฿698.3K

-25.90%

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

$20.8K ₹2.0M

$26.7K ฿895.0K

-22.38%

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

$31.73 ₹3,070

$61.3 ฿2,051

-48.20%

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

$3.11 ₹301

$12.50 ฿419

-75.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.74 ₹749

$20.36 ฿682

-61.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.83 ₹1,532

$37.94 ฿1,270

-58.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ₹1,050

$3.77 ฿126

187.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.06 ₹297

$6.60 ฿221

-53.64%

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

$66.1 ₹6,397

$774 ฿25.9K

-91.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,931 ₹186.9K

$14.4K ฿483.2K

-86.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.87 ₹1,730

$54.8 ฿1,835

-67.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.34 ₹1,775

$25.26 ฿846

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.00 ₹3,677

$90.6 ฿3,032

-58.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.01 ₹3,388

$73.3 ฿2,453

-52.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 ₹12.3K

$459 ฿15.4K

-72.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.1 ₹7,555

$294 ฿9,835

-73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 ₹27.8K

$919 ฿30.8K

-68.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₹19.8K

$552 ฿18.5K

-62.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$672 ₹65.0K

$1,917 ฿64.2K

-64.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$391 ₹37.9K

$1,445 ฿48.4K

-72.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$301 ₹29.1K

$592 ฿19.8K

-49.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.2

5.57

83.12%

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

Last update for Vijayawada: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Vijayawada

$107 27%

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6% 121% $129

Eating Out

Vijayawada

$85 21.5%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4% 9.2% $7.8

Accommodation & Living

Vijayawada

$78 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8% 276% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Vijayawada

$49 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9% 123% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vijayawada

$43 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 121% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Vijayawada

$22 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 133% $29

Getting Around

Vijayawada

$12 3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 415% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $127 in Vijayawada versus $459 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.

Salaries run about 97% 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 $9.00 in Vijayawada versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $107 vs $236 – making Vijayawada the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Vijayawada

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Vijayawada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,048,240

127,240

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Vijayawada Chiang Mai 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Vijayawada
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 130% more than Vijayawada, 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 $590 per month in Vijayawada and $1,359 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $66.1 per month in Vijayawada and $774 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 121% 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 Vijayawada, where all-in costs run around $393, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Vijayawada 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. Vijayawada costs $393 versus $906 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 Vijayawada. 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.