Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Antananarivo

For one person, living is cheaper in Antananarivo: $650 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Antananarivo
Learn more

Antananarivo Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Antananarivo

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $650 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Antananarivo $650

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,004 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Antananarivo $1,004

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,358 in Antananarivo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Antananarivo $1,358

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than Antananarivo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Antananarivo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Antananarivo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.68 MGA 12.2K

-15.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$20.32 MGA 92.7K

-5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.40 MGA 24.6K

3.52%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.59 MGA 7,251

8.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.80 MGA 3,647

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.45 MGA 2,033

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$0.98 MGA 4,488

140.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.24 MGA 10.2K

74.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.92 MGA 4,197

122.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.03 MGA 4,700

35.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.75 MGA 3,435

70.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.07 MGA 9,435

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$8.20 MGA 37.4K

106.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.32 MGA 19.7K

-36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$4.78 MGA 21.8K

95.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.08 MGA 4,924

122.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.57 MGA 2,580

77.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.04 MGA 4,749

54.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.86 MGA 3,922

76.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.59 MGA 2,696

116.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.97 MGA 4,438

14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.32 MGA 1,441

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.66 MGA 3,013

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.57 MGA 7,147

175.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.98 MGA 22.7K

256.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.01 MGA 4,628

61.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.84 MGA 8,410

54.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.13 MGA 605

553.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$3.33 MGA 15.2K

-64.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.00 MGA 9,126

-71.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$4.34 MGA 19.8K

-45.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.13 MGA 5,140

28.32%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$11.8K MGA 54.0M

72.88%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$24.7K MGA 112.7M

7.31%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$72.9 MGA 332.5K

-14.49%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$16.41 MGA 74.9K

-25.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$57.0 MGA 260.1K

-64.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$28.95 MGA 132.1K

30.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.20 MGA 32.8K

-47.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.68 MGA 25.9K

18.13%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$24.15 MGA 110.2K

3200.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$14.8K MGA 67.3M

0.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$28.92 MGA 131.9K

84.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$27.29 MGA 124.5K

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$76.6 MGA 349.4K

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$67.8 MGA 309.4K

8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$321 MGA 1.5M

44.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$148 MGA 674.2K

106.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$725 MGA 3.3M

26.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$317 MGA 1.4M

74.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$650 MGA 3.0M

194.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$557 MGA 2.5M

158.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$132 MGA 600.8K

351.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.75

-64.63%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Antananarivo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Antananarivo

$148 22.8% 51.5% $157

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Antananarivo

$140 21.6% 41.1% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Antananarivo

$90 13.9% 17.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Antananarivo

$146 22.5% 54.7% $52

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Antananarivo

$71 10.9% 10.1% $8

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Antananarivo

$14 * 2.1% 77.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Antananarivo

$40 6.2% 21.5% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $321 in Antananarivo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 352% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $20.00 in Antananarivo. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $140 in Antananarivo – so Antananarivo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇬 Antananarivo

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

21:32 9:32 PM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,274,225 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Antananarivo 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Antananarivo

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 Antananarivo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $975 in Antananarivo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antananarivo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $938 in Chiang Mai and $650 in Antananarivo. That's a gap of about 44%.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $24.15 in Antananarivo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Antananarivo, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Antananarivo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Antananarivo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Antananarivo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.