Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Agana Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,001 in Agana Heights, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. The total is higher in Agana Heights despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Agana Heights

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,001

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Agana Heights

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Agana Heights actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $1,001 in Agana Heights.

Chiang Mai $936
Agana Heights $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,351 in Agana Heights.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Agana Heights $1,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,701 in Agana Heights.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Agana Heights $1,701

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 7% less than in Agana Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Agana Heights 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.69 $1.69

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$4.61 $4.61

-68.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.75 $1.75

-24.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$4.05 $4.05

-43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$26.79 $26.79

-38.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$6.69 $6.69

-58.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$17.86 $17.86

-47.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.88 $3.88

-39.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.18 $1.18

-17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.84 $1.84

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.66 $6.66

-77.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$2.80 $2.80

-54.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$2.89 $2.89

-61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$4.04 $4.04

-82.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$1.95 $1.95

-74.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$10.08 $10.08

-58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$12.01 $12.01

45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.80 $1.80

-10.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$1.54 $1.54

80.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$3.04 $3.04

-71.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$60.5 $60.5

-10.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$10.16 $10.16

-88.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$39.6K $39.6K

-46.78%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$34.7K $34.7K

-22.32%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$337 $337

-81.53%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$75.0 $75.0

-83.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$95.7 $95.7

-78.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

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 ฿33.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Agana Heights: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Agana Heights

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Agana Heights

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Agana Heights

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Agana Heights

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Agana Heights

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Agana Heights

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Agana Heights

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇬🇺 Agana Heights

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

3 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

3,940

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Chiang Mai Agana Heights 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Agana Heights

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

Chiang Mai vs Agana Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Agana Heights. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $1,501 in Agana Heights 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.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $1,001 in Agana Heights – Chiang Mai is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Agana Heights. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Chiang Mai is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Chiang Mai and Agana Heights are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.