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: $1,769 in Agen versus $905 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,627 in Agen versus $1,374 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Agen versus $1,843 in Chiang Mai.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Agen is 30% above, Chiang Mai is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 €9.94

$2.08 ฿68.7

452.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €50.1

$19.52 ฿644

196.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.99 €10.38

$5.94 ฿196

101.85%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.59

$1.70 ฿56.2

144.12%

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

$2.90 €2.51

$0.72 ฿23.71

302.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.28

$0.32 ฿10.69

362.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 €5.93

$2.44 ฿80.6

180.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €3.91

$3.66 ฿121

23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.86 ฿61.2

-36.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.56 ฿51.4

28.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.33 ฿43.82

105.26%

Eggs

$3.46 €3.00

$2.16 ฿71.2

60.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.33

$15.58 ฿514

-8.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 €11.19

$2.85 ฿93.8

353.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 €14.32

$10.39 ฿343

59.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$2.44 ฿80.3

-4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.90

$1.09 ฿35.90

100.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.16

$1.47 ฿48.46

69.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 €3.90

$1.49 ฿49.15

202.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.20 ฿39.52

70.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 €2.57

$1.09 ฿35.78

172.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$0.69 ฿22.67

105.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.38

$0.51 ฿16.93

-13.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 €11.63

$4.37 ฿144

207.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 €8.00

$16.63 ฿548

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 €3.51

$1.65 ฿54.3

146.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.79

$2.74 ฿90.4

59.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.68

$0.94 ฿31.09

105.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 €45.46

$54.7 ฿1,805

-4.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.23 ฿40.44

88.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.57 ฿18.90

240.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.77 €33.57

$2.36 ฿77.8

1542.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.45 ฿47.77

37.93%

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

$33.2K €28.7K

$20.8K ฿687.2K

59.12%

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

$36.1K €31.3K

$26.3K ฿866.1K

37.56%

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

$266 €230

$62.3 ฿2,055

326.21%

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

$15.82 €13.70

$13.01 ฿429

21.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.29 €27.96

$19.45 ฿641

66.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.68 €32.62

$38.68 ฿1,275

-2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.86 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 €10.42

$6.62 ฿218

81.72%

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

$802 €695

$782 ฿25.8K

2.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K €12.0K

$14.8K ฿488.1K

-6.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 €108

$54.1 ฿1,782

129.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.15 €39.95

$25.39 ฿837

81.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.9

$90.9 ฿2,998

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €125

$74.0 ฿2,439

95.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 €535

$476 ฿15.7K

29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 €506

$275 ฿9,059

112.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €857

$881 ฿29.0K

12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €806

$528 ฿17.4K

76.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,984 €3,449

$1,989 ฿65.6K

100.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,136 €2,715

$1,476 ฿48.7K

112.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,259 €2,821

$598 ฿19.7K

445.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Agen: August 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Agen and $476 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Agen pays 445% 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: $58.0 in Agen vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $234 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.

Average pay runs 445% higher in Agen, 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: $617 in Agen versus $476 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% 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 $20.00 versus $58.0 in Agen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $905 in Chiang Mai versus $1,769 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 $905 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.