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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $389 in Agartala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $590 in Agartala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $792 in Agartala.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 122% more expensive than in Agartala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Agartala 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.7

$2.63 ₹254

-25.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿616

$6.29 ₹605

191.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿251

$5.32 ₹512

40.60%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.7

$1.88 ₹181

7.45%

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

$0.85 ฿28.45

$0.49 ₹46.72

73.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.94

$0.13 ₹12.57

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.7

$2.10 ₹202

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$3.70 ₹356

-2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$0.80 ₹77.4

106.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$0.58 ₹56.1

170.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿39.95

$0.65 ₹62.4

83.08%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.0

$0.98 ₹94.8

97.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$7.36 ₹709

119.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿100

$3.43 ₹330

-12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿367

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.0

$2.30 ₹222

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.67 ₹64.8

74.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$0.92 ₹89.0

83.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.45 ₹43.36

255.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$0.25 ₹23.80

452.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.38

$0.55 ₹53.2

118.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.46

$0.49 ₹47.07

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.70

$0.23 ₹22.18

143.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.43 ₹330

35.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿591

$7.16 ₹690

146.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.4

$1.84 ₹177

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.97 ₹190

67.51%

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

$9.01 ₹868

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.63

$0.55 ₹53.2

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿649

$8.71 ₹838

122.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.82

$0.56 ₹53.5

142.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.90

$0.24 ₹23.23

458.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.46 ₹141

462.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.11

$1.19 ₹114

2.52%

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

$21.4K ฿716.8K

$17.6K ₹1.7M

21.43%

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

$22.5K ฿756.3K

$39.9K ₹3.8M

-43.52%

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

$70.7 ฿2,372

$41.22 ₹3,968

71.45%

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

$14.04 ฿471

$2.23 ₹215

529.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿587

$6.86 ₹661

154.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,415

$9.65 ₹929

336.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$5.30 ₹511

29.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.30 ₹221

157.39%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$32.91 ₹3,169

837.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿499.5K

$480 ₹46.2K

2998.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,872

$24.95 ₹2,402

123.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿877

$28.60 ₹2,754

-8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,787

$44.25 ₹4,260

87.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,365

$20.82 ₹2,005

238.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$80.2 ₹7,725

438.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,020

$58.9 ₹5,669

305.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.6K

$242 ₹23.3K

240.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$141 ₹13.6K

263.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.3K

$998 ₹96.1K

91.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$505 ₹48.6K

190.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.4K

$413 ₹39.7K

40.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Agartala: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $80.2 in Agartala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 40% 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: $18.00 in Chiang Mai vs $6.00 in Agartala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 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 122% 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.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Chiang Mai, 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: $432 in Chiang Mai versus $80.2 in Agartala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% 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 $18.00 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 $389 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 122% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.