Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandar Lampung and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Lampung: $573 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Bandar Lampung, Indonesia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bandar Lampung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$573
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $573 in Bandar Lampung versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bandar Lampung $573
  • Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $929 in Bandar Lampung versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bandar Lampung $929
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,285 in Bandar Lampung versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

  • Bandar Lampung $1,285
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bandar Lampung costs roughly 39% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandar Lampung 58% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.50 Rp 27.2K
$2.24 ฿75.6
-33.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.63 Rp 174.6K
$19.00 ฿641
-49.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.47 Rp 44.7K
$5.55 ฿187
-55.50%
Cappuccino
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$1.67 ฿56.5
-49.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,761
$0.64 ฿21.55
-59.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 Rp 3,809
$0.31 ฿10.31
-32.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.62 Rp 29.4K
$2.36 ฿79.6
-31.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 Rp 46.2K
$3.66 ฿124
-30.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
$1.95 ฿65.8
-47.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
$1.44 ฿48.48
-22.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 Rp 12.2K
$1.33 ฿45.04
-49.62%
Eggs
$1.55 Rp 28.1K
$2.28 ฿77.1
-32.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.21 Rp 167.0K
$16.45 ฿555
-44.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.98 Rp 54.0K
$2.78 ฿93.9
7.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.45 Rp 135.2K
$9.31 ฿314
-19.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.6K
$2.35 ฿79.4
-19.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
$0.97 ฿32.80
11.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.39 Rp 25.2K
$1.60 ฿53.9
-13.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.6K
$1.50 ฿50.6
-13.33%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
$1.28 ฿43.12
-33.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.41 Rp 25.6K
$1.10 ฿37.19
28.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 Rp 10.4K
$0.71 ฿23.82
-19.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,143
$0.49 ฿16.37
-20.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$4.14 ฿140
-54.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.79 Rp 377.0K
$17.52 ฿591
18.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 Rp 25.5K
$1.61 ฿54.5
-13.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 56.2K
$2.78 ฿94.0
11.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,564
$0.87 ฿29.31
-71.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.75 Rp 231.2K
$54.1 ฿1,826
-76.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.53 Rp 9,651
$1.16 ฿39.06
-54.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 Rp 5,714
$0.53 ฿17.80
-39.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 Rp 59.1K
$2.42 ฿81.8
34.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.67 Rp 12.1K
$1.45 ฿48.90
-53.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7K Rp 393.5M
$21.1K ฿710.7K
3.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.3K Rp 404.4M
$26.9K ฿909.3K
-17.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$37.80 Rp 685.7K
$62.2 ฿2,098
-39.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.17 Rp 111.9K
$12.17 ฿411
-49.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.98 Rp 199.1K
$20.12 ฿679
-45.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.84 Rp 341.6K
$37.31 ฿1,259
-49.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.31 Rp 150.7K
$3.77 ฿127
120.42%
Cinema Ticket
$2.67 Rp 48.5K
$6.49 ฿219
-58.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.2 Rp 1.7M
$736 ฿24.8K
-87.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,164 Rp 148.1M
$14.8K ฿498.3K
-44.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.50 Rp 299.3K
$53.4 ฿1,801
-69.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.97 Rp 507.3K
$24.64 ฿831
13.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.0 Rp 1.3M
$91.5 ฿3,087
-23.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 Rp 1.9M
$71.9 ฿2,428
46.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$231 Rp 4.2M
$482 ฿16.3K
-52.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 Rp 2.6M
$309 ฿10.4K
-53.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$543 Rp 9.9M
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-46.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 Rp 6.6M
$633 ฿21.4K
-42.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,139 Rp 20.7M
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-51.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$786 Rp 14.3M
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-50.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandar Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
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 Bandar Lampung: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bandar Lampung
$190
Chiang Mai
$234 23% $44
Accommodation & Living
Bandar Lampung
$144
Chiang Mai
$309 114% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Bandar Lampung
$99
Chiang Mai
$109 9.9% $9.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandar Lampung
$55
Chiang Mai
$94 71.9% $40
Eating Out
Bandar Lampung
$45
Chiang Mai
$78 74.3% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Bandar Lampung
$24
Chiang Mai
$50 108% $26
Getting Around
Bandar Lampung
$16
Chiang Mai
$61 287% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Bandar Lampung and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $10 in Bandar Lampung vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $234 per month, with Bandar Lampung cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bandar Lampung
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
14:34 2:34 PM
14:34 2:34 PM
Same time as Bandar Lampung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
921,087
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandar Lampung Chiang Mai 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandar Lampung
  • 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
Bandar Lampung vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bandar Lampung or Chiang Mai?
Bandar Lampung wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandar Lampung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bandar Lampung and in Chiang Mai?
You’d need roughly $860 in Bandar Lampung and $1,403 in Chiang Mai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bandar Lampung compared to Chiang Mai?
Rent for a central apartment: $231 in Bandar Lampung versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Bandar Lampung and in Chiang Mai?
Dining out is cheaper in Bandar Lampung – a meal for two runs $10 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Bandar Lampung compared to Chiang Mai?
All in, you’ll spend $573 per month in Bandar Lampung versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Bandar Lampung is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Bandar Lampung or in Chiang Mai?
At $573 in Bandar Lampung versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bandar Lampung but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bandar Lampung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bandar Lampung or Chiang Mai?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bandar Lampung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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