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Chiang Mai vs Delhi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Chiang Mai
๐ฎ๐ณ Delhi
At a glance
- Where Delhi is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (61%โ), Transit (61%โ), Convenience store (56%โ)
- Where Chiang Mai is clearly cheaper: Massage (58%โ), Entry ticket (38%โ), Local meal (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chiang Mai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chiang Mai 3 vs Delhi 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chiang Mai | Delhi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 80$2.42 | โน 300$3.57 | Chiang Mai โ32% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 50$1.52 | โน 80$0.95 | Delhi โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โน 1,000$11.9 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 75$2.27 | โน 250$2.98 | Chiang Mai โ24% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 85$2.58 | โน 300$3.57 | Chiang Mai โ28% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 180$5.45 | โน 650$7.74 | Chiang Mai โ30% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โน 10$0.12 | Delhi โ61% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 20$0.61 | โน 22$0.27 | Delhi โ56% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โน 150$1.79 | Delhi โ41% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โน 70$0.83 | Delhi โ54% |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โน 30$0.36 | Delhi โ61% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โน 600$7.14 | Delhi โ6% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,100$33.3 | โน 3,500$41.7 | Chiang Mai โ20% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 10,500$318 | โน 20,000$238 | Delhi โ25% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 35$1.06 | โน 80$0.95 | Delhi โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โน 350$4.17 | Delhi โ54% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โน 200$2.38 | Delhi โ48% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โน 1,500$17.9 | Chiang Mai โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 800$24.2 | โน 1,500$17.9 | Delhi โ26% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 145$4.39 | โน 600$7.14 | Chiang Mai โ38% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chiang Mai or Delhi?
Chiang Mai and Delhi cost about the same. Daily budget $66.9 vs $75.9; a month $1,232 vs $1,097.
Which is easier to travel, Chiang Mai or Delhi?
Chiang Mai is easier: Chiang Mai 2.4/5 vs Delhi 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chiang Mai and Delhi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chiang Mai is about $1,232 and Delhi about $1,097 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.