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: $947 in Chiang Mai versus $401 in Agra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,411 in Chiang Mai versus $605 in Agra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,874 in Chiang Mai versus $809 in Agra.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 137% more expensive than in Agra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Agra 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ฿68.5

$3.22 ₹305

-35.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿646

$15.58 ₹1,472

26.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 ฿186

$3.77 ₹356

49.87%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿59.3

$1.99 ₹188

-9.05%

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

$0.71 ฿23.44

$0.41 ₹39.07

73.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ฿10.38

$0.14 ₹13.17

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ฿73.5

$2.13 ₹202

5.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.58 ₹244

40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ฿64.4

$0.72 ₹68.5

172.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ฿49.38

$0.53 ₹49.80

183.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 ฿43.92

$0.74 ₹70.1

81.08%

Eggs

$2.26 ฿74.4

$1.13 ₹107

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 ฿534

$3.44 ₹325

372.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.1

$4.53 ₹428

-34.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ฿327

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿84.5

$1.60 ₹151

60.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿34.72

$0.54 ₹51.2

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$0.86 ₹81.2

87.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿49.96

$0.75 ₹71.0

102.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 ฿41.76

$0.36 ₹33.82

252.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 ฿35.05

$0.50 ₹47.34

114.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿23.67

$0.79 ₹75.1

-8.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.72

$0.30 ₹28.37

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 ฿138

$5.09 ₹481

-17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.87 ฿587

$7.41 ₹700

141.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿55.7

$1.37 ₹129

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿93.2

$2.69 ₹255

5.58%

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

$7.30 ₹690

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿30.42

$0.33 ₹31.41

181.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,770

$16.01 ₹1,513

236.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ฿40.58

$0.33 ₹31.61

272.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ฿18.96

$0.22 ₹20.81

163.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿79.7

$1.25 ₹118

93.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ฿46.42

$1.04 ₹98.4

35.58%

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

$21.4K ฿704.9K

$10.6K ₹1.0M

101.45%

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

$27.3K ฿898.5K

$19.1K ₹1.8M

42.96%

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

$63.7 ฿2,093

$51.8 ₹4,892

22.96%

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

$12.85 ฿423

$3.26 ₹308

294.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.22 ฿665

$6.42 ₹606

214.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ฿1,274

$17.25 ₹1,630

124.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.97 ฿130

$13.01 ₹1,230

-69.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 ฿221

$3.17 ₹299

112.62%

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

$778 ฿25.6K

$35.68 ₹3,371

2080.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ฿480.2K

$1,175 ₹111.0K

1143.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 ฿1,785

$33.14 ₹3,132

63.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ฿836

$19.47 ₹1,840

30.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,101

$51.3 ₹4,845

83.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ฿2,414

$28.35 ₹2,679

159.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 ฿16.1K

$121 ₹11.4K

304.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,510

$53.6 ₹5,062

440.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$894 ฿29.4K

$182 ₹17.2K

390.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ฿17.0K

$63.4 ₹5,990

715.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 ฿64.3K

$1,040 ₹98.2K

88.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 ฿48.5K

$167 ₹15.7K

786.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$602 ฿19.8K

$287 ₹27.1K

109.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: August 31, 2026

Last update for Agra: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Chiang Mai and $121 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 110% 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: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $16.00 in Agra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $107 per month, with Agra 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 Agra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agra wins on cost – living expenses run 137% 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.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $490 in Chiang Mai versus $121 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% 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 $16.00 versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $401 in Agra versus $947 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Agra but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Agra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Agra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $401 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 137% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.