Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

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.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Manakara 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 Manakara and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Manakara $397
Chiang Mai $938

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

Manakara $609
Chiang Mai $1,426

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

Manakara $821
Chiang Mai $1,914

Manakara is about 58% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$2.26 ฿75.4

-1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.63 MGA 66.8K

$19.18 ฿641

-23.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 MGA 15.7K

$5.59 ฿187

-38.46%

Cappuccino

$1.15 MGA 5,250

$1.72 ฿57.6

-33.14%

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

$0.62 MGA 2,806

$0.64 ฿21.54

-3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MGA 2,584

$0.33 ฿11.18

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$2.36 ฿78.7

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 MGA 6,505

$3.90 ฿130

-63.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MGA 8,189

$2.05 ฿68.6

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MGA 4,627

$1.40 ฿46.70

-27.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 MGA 3,140

$1.28 ฿42.89

-46.09%

Eggs

$2.34 MGA 10.7K

$2.25 ฿75.3

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 MGA 29.2K

$16.94 ฿566

-62.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 MGA 15.1K

$2.74 ฿91.6

20.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.51 MGA 16.0K

$9.36 ฿313

-62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,313

$2.40 ฿80.3

-60.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,268

$1.01 ฿33.92

-28.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.35 MGA 1,586

$1.61 ฿53.9

-78.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,294

$1.52 ฿50.7

-52.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,456

$1.28 ฿42.90

-57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 MGA 3,433

$1.11 ฿37.22

-32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 MGA 1,566

$0.72 ฿24.09

-52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,887

$0.52 ฿17.54

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 MGA 6,513

$4.33 ฿145

-66.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 MGA 20.6K

$17.73 ฿593

-74.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MGA 4,660

$1.63 ฿54.4

-37.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MGA 5,918

$2.85 ฿95.3

-54.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 MGA 1,051

$0.85 ฿28.31

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.89 MGA 159.1K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-35.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MGA 4,995

$1.17 ฿39.18

-5.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 MGA 10.0K

$0.57 ฿19.00

285.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 MGA 15.2K

$2.37 ฿79.2

40.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 MGA 5,215

$1.45 ฿48.32

-21.38%

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

$15.7K MGA 71.5M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-23.44%

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

$20.1K MGA 91.6M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

-24.30%

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

$42.27 MGA 192.8K

$62.3 ฿2,083

-32.18%

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

$12.27 ฿410

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 MGA 243.0K

$19.97 ฿668

166.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.44 MGA 52.2K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-69.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

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

$22.50 MGA 102.6K

$797 ฿26.6K

-97.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.28 MGA 74.2K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-69.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.38 MGA 93.0K

$25.05 ฿837

-18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.83 MGA 204.5K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-51.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.59 MGA 208.0K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-37.94%

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)

$115 MGA 524.9K

$595 ฿19.9K

-80.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

330.88%

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

Last update for Manakara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$129 32.6%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 84% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$96 * 24.1%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 1% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$57 14.4%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 91.5% $52

Eating Out

Manakara

$55 13.9%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 42.8% $24

Getting Around

Manakara

$48 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 28% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$11 * 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 349% $40

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

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 $15.00 in Manakara versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $129 vs $238 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

4 h ahead of Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

127,240

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,562 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.19 USD). 1 EUR = 5,128 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.95 EUR).

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).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Manakara Chiang Mai 7,170 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
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

Manakara vs Chiang Mai: 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 $595 per month in Manakara and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $22.50 per month in Manakara and $797 in Chiang Mai. 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.