Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $653 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$653

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $653 in Ambon versus $925 in Chiang Mai.

Ambon $653
Chiang Mai $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,017 in Ambon versus $1,414 in Chiang Mai.

Ambon $1,017
Chiang Mai $1,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,380 in Ambon versus $1,903 in Chiang Mai.

Ambon $1,380
Chiang Mai $1,903

Living in Ambon costs roughly 29% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambon 52% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.09 Rp 19.6K

$2.29 ฿76.5

-52.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.74 Rp 247.3K

$19.64 ฿656

-30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 Rp 70.7K

$5.61 ฿188

-29.95%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$1.66 ฿55.6

-7.83%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,567

$0.70 ฿23.40

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 Rp 5,193

$0.31 ฿10.24

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 Rp 40.8K

$2.41 ฿80.4

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 Rp 60.0K

$3.71 ฿124

-9.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

$1.95 ฿65.3

-44.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.41 ฿47.03

-27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.31 ฿43.62

-37.40%

Eggs

$1.35 Rp 24.3K

$2.18 ฿72.9

-38.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 Rp 127.6K

$16.65 ฿556

-57.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

$2.76 ฿92.2

5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 Rp 137.8K

$9.11 ฿304

-15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.3K

$2.39 ฿80.0

-8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$1.03 ฿34.26

24.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

$1.63 ฿54.4

7.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.50 ฿50.0

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

$1.29 ฿43.13

-3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.3K

$1.11 ฿37.03

71.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Rp 14.1K

$0.72 ฿24.08

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,598

$0.53 ฿17.59

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$4.31 ฿144

-47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 380.1K

$17.95 ฿600

17.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$1.58 ฿52.9

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$2.84 ฿95.0

0.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 Rp 5,000

$0.86 ฿28.86

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.74 Rp 301.3K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-68.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,984

$1.21 ฿40.29

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 6,011

$0.57 ฿18.99

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 Rp 51.9K

$2.35 ฿78.6

22.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.44 ฿47.96

-43.75%

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

$25.5K Rp 458.2M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

22.80%

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

$30.1K Rp 541.1M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

12.16%

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

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

$62.3 ฿2,083

14.86%

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

$5.63 Rp 101.3K

$12.11 ฿405

-53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.00 Rp 341.9K

$19.94 ฿666

-4.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.61 Rp 370.9K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.59 Rp 136.6K

$3.78 ฿126

100.79%

Cinema Ticket

$1.35 Rp 24.2K

$6.50 ฿217

-79.23%

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

$87.9 Rp 1.6M

$793 ฿26.5K

-88.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,380 Rp 132.8M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-50.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.16 Rp 794.9K

$53.7 ฿1,796

-17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.07 Rp 505.2K

$24.62 ฿823

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 Rp 1.3M

$90.9 ฿3,036

-19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$71.1 ฿2,378

-2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 Rp 4.5M

$455 ฿15.2K

-45.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$298 ฿9,954

-44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 Rp 9.3M

$908 ฿30.4K

-42.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 Rp 6.6M

$554 ฿18.5K

-33.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 Rp 22.4M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

-35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$889 Rp 16.0M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-38.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$123 Rp 2.2M

$591 ฿19.7K

-79.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Ambon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$193 29.5%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 22.2% $43

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$164 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 81.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$97 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 11.9% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$96 14.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 1.9% $1.8

Eating Out

Ambon

$60 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 31.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$23 3.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 115% $27

Getting Around

Ambon

$20 3.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 204% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Ambon and $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 381% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Ambon vs $20.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $235 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

2 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ambon Chiang Mai 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
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

Ambon vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 381% lower in Chiang Mai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $250 in Ambon versus $455 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $653 per month in Ambon versus $925 in Chiang Mai – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 218% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $653 in Ambon versus $925 in Chiang Mai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $653 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ambon and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.