Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahajanga and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

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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Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mahajanga and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Mahajanga $538
Chiang Mai $936

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

Mahajanga $792
Chiang Mai $1,457

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

Mahajanga $1,045
Chiang Mai $1,979

Mahajanga is about 42% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.02 MGA 9,260

$2.24 ฿75.7

-9.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.69 MGA 81.2K

$19.00 ฿642

-6.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

Cappuccino

$0.64 MGA 2,933

$1.67 ฿56.6

-61.68%

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

$0.90 MGA 4,117

$0.64 ฿21.56

40.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MGA 3,859

$0.31 ฿10.32

170.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MGA 4,442

$2.36 ฿79.6

-58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MGA 7,214

$3.66 ฿124

-57.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MGA 6,142

$1.95 ฿65.8

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 MGA 3,735

$1.44 ฿48.51

-43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 MGA 2,746

$1.33 ฿45.07

-54.89%

Eggs

$2.06 MGA 9,468

$2.28 ฿77.1

-9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$16.45 ฿556

-60.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

$2.78 ฿94.0

135.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

$9.31 ฿314

-62.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MGA 4,909

$2.35 ฿79.5

-54.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 MGA 2,872

$0.97 ฿32.82

-35.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,117

$1.60 ฿53.9

-57.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,141

$1.50 ฿50.7

-54.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,371

$1.28 ฿43.15

-59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,469

$1.10 ฿37.22

-50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 MGA 1,454

$0.71 ฿23.84

-54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,604

$0.49 ฿16.38

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 MGA 40.6K

$17.52 ฿592

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 MGA 3,470

$1.61 ฿54.5

-52.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MGA 4,138

$2.78 ฿94.0

-67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 MGA 1,106

$0.87 ฿29.33

-72.41%

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)

$1.33 MGA 6,124

$1.45 ฿48.93

-8.28%

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)

$43.81 MGA 201.0K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-29.53%

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

$6.56 MGA 30.1K

$12.17 ฿411

-46.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MGA 100.3K

$20.12 ฿680

8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.71 MGA 81.2K

$37.31 ฿1,260

-52.53%

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)

$325 MGA 1.5M

$482 ฿16.3K

-32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MGA 1.2M

$309 ฿10.4K

-14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 MGA 3.0M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-34.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 MGA 2.0M

$633 ฿21.4K

-31.23%

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 Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Groceries & Markets

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Getting Around

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Mahajanga

–

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $325 in Mahajanga versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 $18 in Mahajanga versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $234 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

4 h ahead of Mahajanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,022

127,240

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

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).

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).

USD to MGA in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Mahajanga
Chiang Mai

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

Mahajanga vs Chiang Mai: 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 $808 per month in Mahajanga and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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 $538 in Mahajanga and $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.