Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antsirabe and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Antsirabe: $450 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Antsirabe
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Antsirabe Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Antsirabe

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$450

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $450 in Antsirabe versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Antsirabe $450
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $677 in Antsirabe versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Antsirabe $677
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $903 in Antsirabe versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Antsirabe $903
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Antsirabe costs roughly 52% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antsirabe 67% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.13 MGA 5,165

$2.24 ฿75.7

-49.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.30 MGA 70.2K

$19.00 ฿642

-19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 MGA 25.7K

$5.55 ฿188

0.72%

Cappuccino

$1.36 MGA 6,217

$1.67 ฿56.6

-18.56%

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

$0.74 MGA 3,406

$0.64 ฿21.56

15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MGA 2,020

$0.31 ฿10.32

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,430

$2.36 ฿79.6

-58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 MGA 9,884

$3.66 ฿124

-41.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 MGA 4,445

$1.95 ฿65.8

-50.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,652

$1.44 ฿48.51

-29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 MGA 3,241

$1.33 ฿45.07

-46.62%

Eggs

$2.03 MGA 9,327

$2.28 ฿77.1

-10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.29 MGA 38.0K

$16.45 ฿556

-49.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 MGA 19.4K

$2.78 ฿94.0

52.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.65 MGA 21.3K

$9.31 ฿314

-50.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 MGA 4,770

$2.35 ฿79.5

-55.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 MGA 2,415

$0.97 ฿32.82

-45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 MGA 4,503

$1.60 ฿53.9

-38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 MGA 3,933

$1.50 ฿50.7

-42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MGA 2,543

$1.28 ฿43.15

-57.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MGA 4,469

$1.10 ฿37.22

-11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MGA 1,443

$0.71 ฿23.84

-56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MGA 2,112

$0.49 ฿16.38

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 MGA 7,238

$4.14 ฿140

-61.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 MGA 23.3K

$17.52 ฿592

-71.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MGA 4,433

$1.61 ฿54.5

-39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 MGA 8,108

$2.78 ฿94.0

-36.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MGA 14.9K

$1.16 ฿39.08

181.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 MGA 8,941

$0.53 ฿17.82

267.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MGA 20.8K

$2.42 ฿81.8

87.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 MGA 5,283

$1.45 ฿48.93

-20.69%

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

$11.6K MGA 53.0M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-45.15%

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

$25.2K MGA 115.7M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

-6.42%

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

$73.7 MGA 338.2K

$62.2 ฿2,100

18.59%

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

$16.33 MGA 74.9K

$12.17 ฿411

34.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 MGA 251.6K

$20.12 ฿680

172.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 MGA 24.5K

$6.49 ฿219

-17.72%

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

$24.61 MGA 112.9K

$736 ฿24.9K

-96.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K MGA 67.5M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.16 MGA 129.2K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.58 MGA 121.9K

$24.64 ฿832

7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MGA 347.7K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-17.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MGA 313.4K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-5.05%

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 Antsirabe: October 26, 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

Antsirabe

$145 32.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 34.8% $50

Groceries & Markets

Antsirabe

$136 30.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 71.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Antsirabe

$89 19.9%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 21.4% $19

Eating Out

Antsirabe

$56 12.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 38.7% $22

Getting Around

Antsirabe

$13 * 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 372% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Antsirabe

$11 * 2.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 371% $40

Accommodation & Living

Antsirabe

- * 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: $15 in Antsirabe vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $234 per month, with Antsirabe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Antsirabe

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

05:13 5:13 AM

4 h ahead of Antsirabe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,354

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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Between locations

Antsirabe Chiang Mai 7,110 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Antsirabe
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

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

Antsirabe is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $675 in Antsirabe 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $450 per month in Antsirabe versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Antsirabe is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

Safety-wise, Antsirabe and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.