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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Chiang Mai versus $394 in Agra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Chiang Mai versus $602 in Agra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Chiang Mai versus $809 in Agra.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 120% more expensive than Agra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 35% lower, Agra 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.6

$2.38 ₹228

-18.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 ฿609

$19.91 ₹1,906

-6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 ฿256

$4.02 ₹385

94.53%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ฿63.9

$1.87 ₹179

4.28%

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

$0.85 ฿27.80

$0.41 ₹38.87

107.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ฿11.60

$0.18 ₹16.89

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ฿69.7

$1.77 ₹169

20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

$2.98 ₹285

25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿56.0

$0.72 ₹68.8

137.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ฿53.3

$0.49 ₹46.88

232.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.18

$0.79 ₹75.4

44.30%

Eggs

$1.93 ฿63.2

$1.11 ₹107

73.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.21 ฿530

$4.52 ₹432

258.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.57 ₹341

-12.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿356

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.01 ₹192

36.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.56

$0.66 ₹63.3

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.77 ₹73.9

110.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.9

$0.49 ₹46.73

224.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ฿45.75

$0.32 ₹30.93

337.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ฿38.20

$0.39 ₹37.07

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ฿21.62

$0.57 ₹54.3

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.24

$0.30 ₹28.65

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.69 ฿153

$3.77 ₹361

24.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.66 ฿610

$7.26 ₹695

157.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.8

$1.44 ₹138

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.98 ₹190

63.13%

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

$4.09 ₹392

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ฿29.28

$0.40 ₹38.05

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.21 ฿628

$11.75 ₹1,125

63.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ฿45.96

$0.60 ₹57.2

135.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 ฿42.16

$0.38 ₹36.48

239.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ฿256

$1.31 ₹126

498.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ฿41.62

$1.17 ₹112

8.55%

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

$21.3K ฿695.5K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

80.24%

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

$22.2K ฿726.1K

$23.2K ₹2.2M

-4.10%

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

$69.1 ฿2,258

$63.0 ₹6,027

9.67%

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

$14.08 ฿460

$3.38 ₹323

316.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.00 ฿588

$8.09 ₹775

122.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ฿1,342

$15.53 ₹1,486

164.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.96 ฿227

$5.82 ₹557

19.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿193

$2.32 ₹222

155.17%

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

$299 ฿9,775

$40.33 ₹3,859

641.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ฿488.8K

$1,532 ₹146.6K

876.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ฿1,788

$27.36 ₹2,618

99.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 ฿875

$28.86 ₹2,762

-7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 ฿2,778

$45.48 ₹4,353

86.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ฿2,308

$26.07 ₹2,495

170.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ฿14.0K

$135 ₹12.9K

216.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ฿7,759

$57.2 ₹5,474

314.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 ฿26.2K

$205 ₹19.6K

291.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 ฿16.9K

$70.8 ₹6,777

627.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,975 ฿64.5K

$1,034 ₹98.9K

90.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,475 ฿48.2K

$168 ₹16.1K

778.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 ฿20.2K

$286 ₹27.4K

115.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

-38.80%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Last update for Agra: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Chiang Mai and $135 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 116% 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 $20.00 in Agra. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $104, with Agra cheaper for home cooking.

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 Agra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agra wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Agra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiang Mai pays 116% 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 $135 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 137% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Agra – a meal for two runs $20.00 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 Agra 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 Agra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Agra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Agra 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 Agra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.