Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
Learn more

Manakara Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $397 in Manakara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Manakara $397

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $609 in Manakara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Manakara $609

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $821 in Manakara, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Manakara $821

Chiang Mai costs about 137% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Manakara are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

1.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

31.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

62.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.15 MGA 5,250

49.57%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.62 MGA 2,806

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.57 MGA 2,584

-42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.14 MGA 5,215

107.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$1.43 MGA 6,505

172.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.80 MGA 8,189

13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.01 MGA 4,627

38.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.69 MGA 3,140

85.51%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

164.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

-17.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

166.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$0.95 MGA 4,313

152.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$0.72 MGA 3,268

40.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$0.35 MGA 1,586

360.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.72 MGA 3,294

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.54 MGA 2,456

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.75 MGA 3,433

48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.34 MGA 1,566

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.63 MGA 2,887

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.43 MGA 6,513

202.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

292.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.02 MGA 4,660

59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$1.30 MGA 5,918

119.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.23 MGA 1,051

269.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

54.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.10 MGA 4,995

6.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

-74.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

-29.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.14 MGA 5,215

27.19%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

30.62%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

32.10%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

47.46%

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

-62.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

231.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

3442.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

227.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

104.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

61.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$115 MGA 524.9K

417.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-76.79%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Manakara

$129 32.6% 45.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Manakara

$57 14.4% 47.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Manakara

$96 * 24.1% 1% $1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Manakara

$55 13.9% 30% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Manakara

$48 12.1% 21.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Manakara

$11 * 2.9% 77.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 417% 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 $15.00 in Manakara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $129 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

08:31 8:31 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

44,237

💱 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 Manakara 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manakara

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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 137% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $595 in Manakara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $22.50 in Manakara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Manakara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Manakara costs $397 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Manakara. 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.