Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $538 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Mahajanga $538

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $792 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Mahajanga $792

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,045 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Mahajanga $1,045

Chiang Mai costs about 74% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Mahajanga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Mahajanga 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$2.02 MGA 9,260

10.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$0.64 MGA 2,933

160.94%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.90 MGA 4,117

-28.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.84 MGA 3,859

-63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$0.97 MGA 4,442

143.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$1.57 MGA 7,214

133.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.34 MGA 6,142

45.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.81 MGA 3,735

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.60 MGA 2,746

121.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.06 MGA 9,468

10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

151.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

-57.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

169.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.07 MGA 4,909

119.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$0.63 MGA 2,872

53.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.68 MGA 3,117

135.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.68 MGA 3,141

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$0.52 MGA 2,371

146.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$0.54 MGA 2,469

103.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.32 MGA 1,454

121.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.57 MGA 2,604

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

97.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$0.76 MGA 3,470

111.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$0.90 MGA 4,138

208.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.24 MGA 1,106

262.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.33 MGA 6,124

9.02%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

41.91%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

85.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

-8.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

110.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

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

$736 ฿24.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$325 MGA 1.5M

48.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$265 MGA 1.2M

16.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$661 MGA 3.0M

52.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$436 MGA 2.0M

45.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $325 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $18 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $144 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

246,022

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,587 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,107 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Mahajanga 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 74% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $808 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $538 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 42% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $936 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.