Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambatolampy and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $466 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$466

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $466 in Ambatolampy versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Ambatolampy $466
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $689 in Ambatolampy versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Ambatolampy $689
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $912 in Ambatolampy versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Ambatolampy $912
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Ambatolampy costs roughly 50% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambatolampy 66% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

$2.24 ฿75.7

16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.84 MGA 45.1K

$19.00 ฿642

-48.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 MGA 25.9K

$5.55 ฿188

1.62%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MGA 7,263

$1.67 ฿56.6

-5.39%

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

$0.75 MGA 3,432

$0.64 ฿21.56

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,058

$0.31 ฿10.32

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 MGA 4,327

$2.36 ฿79.6

-60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MGA 9,798

$3.66 ฿124

-41.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 MGA 3,898

$1.95 ฿65.8

-56.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MGA 4,488

$1.44 ฿48.51

-31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,230

$1.33 ฿45.07

-47.37%

Eggs

$1.95 MGA 8,945

$2.28 ฿77.1

-14.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 MGA 38.9K

$16.45 ฿556

-48.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MGA 20.1K

$2.78 ฿94.0

57.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.86 MGA 22.3K

$9.31 ฿314

-47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 MGA 4,727

$2.35 ฿79.5

-56.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 MGA 2,588

$0.97 ฿32.82

-42.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MGA 4,704

$1.60 ฿53.9

-35.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MGA 3,744

$1.50 ฿50.7

-45.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,489

$1.28 ฿43.15

-57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 MGA 4,154

$1.10 ฿37.22

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MGA 1,440

$0.71 ฿23.84

-56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MGA 3,262

$0.49 ฿16.38

44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,185

$4.14 ฿140

-62.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

$17.52 ฿592

-72.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,612

$1.61 ฿54.5

-37.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 MGA 8,346

$2.78 ฿94.0

-34.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 MGA 15.3K

$1.16 ฿39.08

187.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MGA 8,891

$0.53 ฿17.82

266.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MGA 20.1K

$2.42 ฿81.8

80.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MGA 3,815

$1.45 ฿48.93

-42.76%

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

$11.7K MGA 53.8M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-44.27%

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

$25.3K MGA 116.2M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-5.95%

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

$71.4 MGA 327.7K

$62.2 ฿2,100

14.91%

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

$16.52 MGA 75.8K

$12.17 ฿411

35.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 MGA 250.9K

$20.12 ฿680

171.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 MGA 24.6K

$6.49 ฿219

-17.26%

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

$23.91 MGA 109.7K

$736 ฿24.9K

-96.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K MGA 66.7M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-1.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.41 MGA 130.3K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-46.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.96 MGA 123.7K

$24.64 ฿832

9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MGA 347.7K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-17.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 MGA 314.6K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

5.57

182.76%

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

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambatolampy

$143 30.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 33.8% $48

Groceries & Markets

Ambatolampy

$139 29.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 68.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Ambatolampy

$90 19.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 20.9% $19

Eating Out

Ambatolampy

$70 15.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 10.1% $7.1

Getting Around

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 371% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 369% $40

Accommodation & Living

Ambatolampy

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $10 in Ambatolampy vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $234 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

05:28 5:28 AM

4 h ahead of Ambatolampy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,291

127,240

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ambatolampy Chiang Mai 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambatolampy
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

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

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $699 in Ambatolampy and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $24 in Ambatolampy versus $736 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $466 in Ambatolampy versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.