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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $381 in Agartala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $593 in Agartala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $804 in Agartala.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 127% more expensive than Agartala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Agartala 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$2.69 ₹258

-27.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$6.29 ₹602

196.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$5.34 ₹511

46.44%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.82 ₹175

7.14%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.46 ₹43.61

84.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.14 ₹13.35

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.98 ₹189

7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$3.80 ₹364

-1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.74 ₹70.6

131.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.54 ₹51.8

201.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.64 ₹61.5

78.12%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$0.97 ₹92.7

98.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$7.73 ₹739

109.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.33 ₹319

-6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.37 ₹227

16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.72 ₹69.2

68.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.99 ₹95.1

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.46 ₹43.68

245.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.27 ₹25.84

418.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.55 ₹52.4

112.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.46 ₹44.01

43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.23 ₹22.09

130.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.53 ₹338

32.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$6.83 ₹653

173.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.77 ₹169

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.99 ₹190

62.31%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$8.74 ₹836

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.59 ₹56.6

52.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$8.82 ₹844

117.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.57 ₹54.2

147.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.22 ₹20.99

486.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.41 ₹135

456.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.25 ₹119

1.60%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$17.8K ₹1.7M

19.79%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$40.7K ₹3.9M

-45.40%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$40.12 ₹3,839

72.16%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$2.21 ₹212

537.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$6.92 ₹662

160.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$9.55 ₹914

329.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$5.12 ₹490

35.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.38 ₹228

148.74%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$32.97 ₹3,155

806.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$489 ₹46.8K

2954.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$24.54 ₹2,348

122.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$29.21 ₹2,795

-8.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$43.13 ₹4,127

97.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$21.02 ₹2,011

235.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$82.1 ₹7,859

421.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$57.2 ₹5,477

314.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$235 ₹22.5K

241.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$141 ₹13.5K

266.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$978 ₹93.6K

101.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$516 ₹49.4K

185.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$415 ₹39.7K

48.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-33.33%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Agartala: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $82.1 in Agartala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 49% 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: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $6.00 in Agartala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $115 per month, with Agartala 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

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

Agartala wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agartala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiang Mai pays 49% 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: $428 in Chiang Mai versus $82.1 in Agartala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Agartala – a meal for two runs $6.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Agartala gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Agartala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $381 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agartala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Agartala 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 Agartala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.