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: $861 in Chiang Mai versus $410 in Agra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Chiang Mai versus $621 in Agra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,838 in Chiang Mai versus $832 in Agra.

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 110% more expensive than in Agra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 36% lower, Agra 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.96 ฿65.8

$2.30 ₹222

-14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.35 ฿617

$19.57 ₹1,887

-6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 ฿252

$4.03 ₹388

85.61%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ฿67.8

$1.80 ₹173

12.22%

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

$0.85 ฿28.50

$0.43 ₹41.79

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.96

$0.14 ₹13.74

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.8

$1.76 ₹170

21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

$2.93 ₹283

22.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ฿55.5

$0.71 ₹68.1

132.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ฿52.7

$0.45 ₹43.51

248.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 ฿40.02

$0.82 ₹79.0

45.12%

Eggs

$1.94 ฿65.1

$1.07 ₹103

81.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 ฿544

$4.48 ₹432

261.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 ฿101

$3.54 ₹341

-15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ฿91.2

$2.06 ₹198

31.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.25

$0.65 ₹62.6

80.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$0.76 ₹73.1

122.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.52 ₹49.87

207.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.29 ₹28.41

375.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.45

$0.39 ₹37.46

207.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ฿22.50

$0.56 ₹54.3

19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.73

$0.32 ₹31.17

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 ฿156

$3.74 ₹361

24.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

$8.48 ₹818

107.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.5

$1.36 ₹131

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

$1.99 ₹192

65.83%

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

$4.12 ₹398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ฿29.68

$0.36 ₹35.14

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.34 ฿650

$11.69 ₹1,127

65.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ฿45.90

$0.59 ₹57.4

130.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 ฿44.98

$0.41 ₹39.80

226.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 ฿276

$1.25 ₹121

556.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿41.18

$1.13 ₹109

7.96%

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

$21.4K ฿718.1K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

82.35%

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

$22.5K ฿757.7K

$23.0K ₹2.2M

-2.00%

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

$70.7 ฿2,376

$64.4 ₹6,213

9.70%

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

$14.04 ฿472

$3.22 ₹311

336.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.49 ฿588

$8.13 ₹784

115.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ฿1,417

$15.71 ₹1,515

168.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ฿231

$5.85 ₹565

17.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 ฿199

$2.37 ₹228

149.79%

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

$309 ฿10.4K

$41.21 ₹3,974

648.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ฿500.4K

$1,506 ₹145.2K

888.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 ฿1,875

$27.41 ₹2,643

103.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.11 ฿878

$28.71 ₹2,768

-9.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 ฿2,792

$45.28 ₹4,367

83.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 ฿2,369

$26.52 ₹2,557

165.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 ฿14.5K

$133 ₹12.8K

225.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ฿8,035

$58.5 ₹5,644

308.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ฿27.7K

$201 ₹19.4K

309.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ฿17.2K

$70.0 ₹6,750

631.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.4K

$1,034 ₹99.7K

85.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 ฿49.3K

$169 ₹16.3K

768.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$579 ฿19.5K

$285 ₹27.5K

103.18%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Agra: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Chiang Mai and $133 in Agra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 103% 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 $20.00 in Agra. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $106, 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 110% 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 103% 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 $133 in Agra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% 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 $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 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 $410 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 110% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.