Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Agra

For one person, living is cheaper in Agra: $403 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Agra
Learn more

Agra Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Agra

🇮🇳 India

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Agra

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 Agra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $403 in Agra.

Chiang Mai $925
Agra $403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $615 in Agra.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Agra $615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $826 in Agra.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Agra $826

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 130% more expensive than in Agra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Agra 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$3.14 ₹298

-27.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$15.62 ₹1,484

25.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.67 ₹349

52.86%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.02 ₹192

-17.82%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$0.41 ₹39.18

70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.14 ₹13.50

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.09 ₹199

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.56 ₹243

44.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$0.71 ₹67.1

174.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$0.55 ₹52.6

156.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.74 ₹70.7

77.03%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.09 ₹104

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$3.55 ₹338

369.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$4.57 ₹434

-39.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$1.59 ₹151

50.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$0.59 ₹55.7

74.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$0.80 ₹76.0

103.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$0.81 ₹76.5

85.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$0.36 ₹33.96

258.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$0.46 ₹43.69

141.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.84 ₹79.9

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.28 ₹26.43

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$4.90 ₹466

-12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$7.31 ₹694

145.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.42 ₹135

11.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.58 ₹245

10.08%

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

$7.38 ₹701

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.31 ₹29.27

177.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$15.86 ₹1,506

235.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.30 ₹28.95

303.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.20 ₹18.95

185.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$1.25 ₹118

88.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$1.06 ₹101

35.85%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

82.66%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$19.2K ₹1.8M

39.74%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$53.5 ₹5,084

16.42%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$3.41 ₹324

255.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$6.49 ₹616

207.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$17.82 ₹1,692

108.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$12.99 ₹1,234

-70.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.18 ₹302

104.40%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$34.77 ₹3,302

2179.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$1,162 ₹110.4K

1174.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$33.29 ₹3,162

61.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$19.57 ₹1,858

25.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$50.3 ₹4,774

80.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$27.81 ₹2,641

155.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$122 ₹11.6K

272.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$52.0 ₹4,941

472.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$184 ₹17.5K

393.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$63.8 ₹6,060

767.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,035 ₹98.3K

86.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$167 ₹15.8K

766.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

$297 ₹28.2K

99.13%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for Agra: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Agra

$52 12.9% 82.5% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Agra

$108 26.8% 54.2% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Agra

$59 14.6% 45.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Agra

$63 15.7% 32.8% $31

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Agra

$78 19.4% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Agra

$18 4.6% 69.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Agra

$24 6% 51.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $122 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 99% 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 $235 vs $108 per month, with Agra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇳 Agra

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

23:19 11:19 PM

1 h 30 min behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,500,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Agra 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Agra

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 Agra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Agra wins on cost – living expenses run 130% 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 99% 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $122 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% 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 $403 in Agra versus $925 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 $403 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 130% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.