Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alor Setar and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Alor Setar: $868 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Alor Setar
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Alor Setar Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Alor Setar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$868

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $868 per month in Alor Setar vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alor Setar $868
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,310 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,310
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,752 per month in Alor Setar vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Alor Setar $1,752
Chiang Mai $1,979

Alor Setar is about 7% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Alor Setar and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Alor Setar 36% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 MYR 8.38

$2.24 ฿75.7

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.28 MYR 50.0

$19.00 ฿642

-35.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 MYR 16.65

$5.55 ฿188

-26.31%

Cappuccino

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$1.67 ฿56.6

14.97%

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

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.64 ฿21.56

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.23

$0.31 ฿10.32

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 MYR 16.71

$2.36 ฿79.6

73.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

$3.66 ฿124

23.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MYR 6.56

$1.95 ฿65.8

-17.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$1.44 ฿48.51

-40.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.11

$1.33 ฿45.07

31.58%

Eggs

$1.53 MYR 6.22

$2.28 ฿77.1

-32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 MYR 55.5

$16.45 ฿556

-17.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.62

$2.78 ฿94.0

55.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 MYR 34.51

$9.31 ฿314

-9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 MYR 12.50

$2.35 ฿79.5

30.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.84

$0.97 ฿32.82

22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 MYR 10.61

$1.60 ฿53.9

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$1.50 ฿50.7

-2.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$1.28 ฿43.15

-17.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.38

$1.10 ฿37.22

-1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$0.71 ฿23.84

53.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$0.49 ฿16.38

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MYR 18.13

$4.14 ฿140

7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 MYR 77.0

$17.52 ฿592

7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$1.61 ฿54.5

85.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 MYR 21.11

$2.78 ฿94.0

86.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.84

$0.87 ฿29.33

-19.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 MYR 51.7

$54.1 ฿1,827

-76.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.03

$1.16 ฿39.08

49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.66

$0.53 ฿17.82

-22.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.38 MYR 30.09

$2.42 ฿81.8

204.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.45 ฿48.93

-66.21%

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

$45.3K MYR 184.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

115.02%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

33.05%

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

$37.81 MYR 154

$62.2 ฿2,100

-39.18%

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

$7.47 MYR 30.44

$12.17 ฿411

-38.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.90 MYR 89.3

$20.12 ฿680

8.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.64 MYR 153

$37.31 ฿1,260

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.37 MYR 25.95

$3.77 ฿127

68.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.68

$6.49 ฿219

-25.58%

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

$396 MYR 1,615

$736 ฿24.9K

-46.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.6K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-27.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MYR 243

$53.4 ฿1,802

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 MYR 146

$24.64 ฿832

45.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 MYR 333

$91.5 ฿3,089

-10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.9 MYR 281

$71.9 ฿2,429

-4.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 MYR 1,713

$482 ฿16.3K

-12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 MYR 1,197

$309 ฿10.4K

-4.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 MYR 2,660

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-35.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 MYR 2,167

$633 ฿21.4K

-16.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,256 MYR 9,193

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-4.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MYR 4,712

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-27.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 MYR 6,519

$590 ฿19.9K

171.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.57

-27.47%

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

Last update for Alor Setar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alor Setar

$294 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 5.2% $15

Groceries & Markets

Alor Setar

$245 28.3%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 4.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Alor Setar

$111 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 1.9% $2.1

Eating Out

Alor Setar

$85 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 8.4% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alor Setar

$67 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 40.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Alor Setar

$47 5.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 6.3% $3

Getting Around

Alor Setar

$19 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 219% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $421 in Alor Setar 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.

Salaries in Alor Setar are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Alor Setar versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Alor Setar vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Alor Setar

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h behind Alor Setar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,868

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alor Setar Chiang Mai 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Alor Setar
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

Alor Setar vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 8% more than Alor Setar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,303 per month in Alor Setar 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 Alor Setar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $421 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $396 per month in Alor Setar and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Alor Setar and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.