Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banda Aceh and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities 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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Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $319 per month in Banda Aceh vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banda Aceh $319
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $510 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banda Aceh $510
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $701 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Banda Aceh $701
Chiang Mai $1,999

Banda Aceh is about 66% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banda Aceh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Banda Aceh 76% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$2.13 ฿72.0

6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

$18.62 ฿628

-61.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$5.60 ฿189

-40.18%

Cappuccino

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$1.66 ฿56.1

-26.51%

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

$0.38 Rp 6,876

$0.65 ฿21.83

-41.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,801

$0.30 ฿10.29

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.32 ฿78.4

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

$3.67 ฿124

3.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

$2.02 ฿68.0

-19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.41 ฿47.51

-39.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.39 ฿46.96

-41.73%

Eggs

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$2.37 ฿79.9

-34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

$16.52 ฿557

-48.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.67 ฿90.1

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

$9.02 ฿304

-28.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

$2.40 ฿80.9

-10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.04 ฿35.13

-19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-51.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.56 ฿52.6

-49.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.24 ฿41.76

-32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$1.09 ฿36.66

207.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.76 ฿25.70

13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,239

$0.51 ฿17.35

-21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

$4.12 ฿139

-28.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

$1.47 ฿49.69

-40.14%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

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

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

$62.6 ฿2,111

-47.19%

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

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

$11.60 ฿392

-80.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

$20.30 ฿685

16.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

$37.88 ฿1,278

-74.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

$3.70 ฿125

257.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

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

$727 ฿24.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-88.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

$53.5 ฿1,807

-48.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

$24.80 ฿837

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

$90.4 ฿3,050

-51.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

$72.0 ฿2,428

-61.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Groceries & Markets

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Eating Out

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Getting Around

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Banda Aceh

–

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $131 vs $237 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Banda Aceh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,446

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Banda Aceh Chiang Mai 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Banda Aceh
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

Banda Aceh vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 193%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $479 per month in Banda Aceh and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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