Cost of Living Comparison Between Agen and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Agen and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,669 in Agen versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,483 in Agen versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,297 in Agen versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Agen is roughly 96% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Agen is 25% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 €10.47

$1.96 ฿64.0

523.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.2

$18.81 ฿615

236.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €9.72

$7.92 ฿259

43.31%

Cappuccino

$3.87 €3.31

$1.91 ฿62.6

102.62%

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

$2.90 €2.49

$0.84 ฿27.41

245.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.48

$0.35 ฿11.51

394.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 €5.49

$2.21 ฿72.1

190.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.93

$3.80 ฿124

51.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.64 ฿53.5

-29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.80

$1.62 ฿53.1

29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 €2.20

$1.18 ฿38.62

117.80%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.88

$2.01 ฿65.8

67.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.54 €13.30

$15.89 ฿520

-2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.92 €11.06

$3.01 ฿98.5

329.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.49 €14.12

$10.77 ฿352

53.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.61 ฿85.5

5.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$1.22 ฿39.88

83.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$1.70 ฿55.7

52.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 €3.99

$1.58 ฿51.5

194.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.32 ฿43.14

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 €2.49

$1.17 ฿38.23

148.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$0.67 ฿21.98

98.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.58

$0.56 ฿18.32

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.57 €11.62

$4.53 ฿148

199.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 €8.22

$18.20 ฿595

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.44

$1.83 ฿60.0

55.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.90

$3.23 ฿106

4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.26

$0.89 ฿29.00

66.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.10 €42.03

$19.38 ฿634

153.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.08

$1.35 ฿44.20

252.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 €2.73

$1.35 ฿44.05

136.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.12 €41.19

$8.25 ฿270

483.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.27 ฿41.64

61.42%

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

$25.6K €21.9K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

21.07%

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

$23.1K €19.8K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

2.66%

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

$231 €198

$70.2 ฿2,294

229.04%

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

$24.15 €20.67

$13.77 ฿450

75.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.95 €28.20

$17.60 ฿575

87.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.24 €14.75

$41.57 ฿1,360

-58.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 €15.51

$6.60 ฿216

174.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 €9.35

$5.78 ฿189

89.10%

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

$346 €296

$306 ฿10.0K

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,243 €7,912

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-37.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 €74.8

$54.4 ฿1,778

60.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.31 €14.82

$26.14 ฿855

-33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 €74.8

$84.5 ฿2,764

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 €72.8

$69.4 ฿2,270

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €533

$424 ฿13.9K

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 €466

$238 ฿7,788

128.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 €855

$825 ฿27.0K

21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 €778

$515 ฿16.8K

76.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,127 €3,533

$2,049 ฿67.0K

101.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,005 €2,572

$1,523 ฿49.8K

97.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 €2,893

$635 ฿20.8K

432.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

-30.00%

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

Last update for Agen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Agen and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Agen pays 432% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Agen vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $243 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Agen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Agen pays 432% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $623 in Agen versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Agen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $63.0 in Agen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,669 in Agen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Agen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $852 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Agen and Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Agen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.