Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,236 per month in Bali vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bali $1,236
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,086 per month in Bali vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bali $2,086
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,937 per month in Bali vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Bali $2,937
Chiang Mai $1,914

Bali costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bali and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Bali 8% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.26 ฿75.4

22.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

$19.18 ฿641

55.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

$5.59 ฿187

-17.17%

Cappuccino

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

$1.72 ฿57.6

34.88%

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

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

$0.64 ฿21.54

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.33 ฿11.18

93.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$2.36 ฿78.7

-7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

$3.90 ฿130

-8.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$2.05 ฿68.6

-27.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$1.40 ฿46.70

57.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$1.28 ฿42.89

-8.59%

Eggs

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

$2.25 ฿75.3

-10.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

$16.94 ฿566

-2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

$2.74 ฿91.6

34.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

$9.36 ฿313

24.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

$2.40 ฿80.3

43.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

$1.01 ฿33.92

44.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.61 ฿53.9

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.52 ฿50.7

19.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.28 ฿42.90

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$1.11 ฿37.22

104.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.72 ฿24.09

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.52 ฿17.54

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

$4.33 ฿145

-50.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

$17.73 ฿593

20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.63 ฿54.4

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$2.85 ฿95.3

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,713

$0.85 ฿28.31

-69.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-85.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,646

$1.17 ฿39.18

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,705

$0.57 ฿19.00

-24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

$2.37 ฿79.2

137.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$1.45 ฿48.32

-43.45%

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

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

15.74%

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

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

19.71%

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

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$62.3 ฿2,083

30.47%

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

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

$12.27 ฿410

-46.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

$19.97 ฿668

-8.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

$37.91 ฿1,267

23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

$3.76 ฿126

300.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

$6.71 ฿224

-45.01%

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

$445 Rp 8.0M

$797 ฿26.6K

-44.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-64.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-19.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

$25.05 ฿837

33.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$91.6 ฿3,062

-18.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$73.5 ฿2,455

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 Rp 17.9M

$464 ฿15.5K

114.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 Rp 10.7M

$305 ฿10.2K

95.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

$915 ฿30.6K

233.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

$552 ฿18.5K

173.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

27.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

36.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$220 Rp 4.0M

$595 ฿19.9K

-62.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$596 48.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 48.9% $291

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$277 22.4%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 14% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$106 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 10.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 8.3% $8.3

Eating Out

Bali

$90 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 12.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$54 4.4%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 5.3% $2.9

Getting Around

Bali

$12 0.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 427% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $996 in Bali versus $464 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 run about 170% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $30.00 in Bali versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

11:20 11:20 AM

1 h behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 19, 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 19, 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

Bali Chiang Mai 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
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

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

Bali costs about 32% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,854 per month in Bali and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Bali and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,236 in Bali and $938 in Chiang Mai. That's a gap of about 32%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Bali at $1,236. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,236 in Bali. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.