Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $623 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Bandung versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Bandung $623
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $925 in Bandung versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Bandung $925
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,226 in Bandung versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Bandung $1,226
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Bandung costs roughly 33% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 54% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$2.24 ฿75.7

-37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.70 Rp 249.1K

$19.00 ฿642

-27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 Rp 58.5K

$5.55 ฿188

-41.98%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

$1.67 ฿56.6

-11.38%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,780

$0.64 ฿21.56

-32.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,994

$0.31 ฿10.32

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$2.36 ฿79.6

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$3.66 ฿124

-15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.95 ฿65.8

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$1.44 ฿48.51

-32.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.33 ฿45.07

-35.34%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 Rp 126.1K

$16.45 ฿556

-57.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

$2.78 ฿94.0

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 Rp 144.1K

$9.31 ฿314

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$2.35 ฿79.5

-5.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.97 ฿32.82

8.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.60 ฿53.9

-8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

$1.50 ฿50.7

-40.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$1.28 ฿43.15

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

$1.10 ฿37.22

76.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.71 ฿23.84

-9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,815

$0.49 ฿16.38

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 46.6K

$4.14 ฿140

-38.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.37 Rp 406.6K

$17.52 ฿592

27.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

$1.61 ฿54.5

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

$2.78 ฿94.0

13.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,863

$0.87 ฿29.33

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 Rp 228.4K

$54.1 ฿1,827

-76.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.16 ฿39.08

-27.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 Rp 9,737

$0.53 ฿17.82

1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 Rp 42.2K

$2.42 ฿81.8

-4.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.45 ฿48.93

-42.07%

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

$20.8K Rp 377.2M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-1.44%

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

$32.2K Rp 585.8M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

19.63%

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

$33.56 Rp 609.9K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-46.02%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.8K

$12.17 ฿411

-65.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.17 Rp 348.4K

$20.12 ฿680

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.35 Rp 297.2K

$37.31 ฿1,260

-56.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 Rp 107.7K

$3.77 ฿127

57.03%

Cinema Ticket

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

$6.49 ฿219

-56.39%

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

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

$736 ฿24.9K

-87.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,239 Rp 149.7M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-44.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 Rp 706.7K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.30 Rp 568.8K

$24.64 ฿832

27.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$91.5 ฿3,089

-18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

$71.9 ฿2,429

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 Rp 3.8M

$482 ฿16.3K

-56.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$309 ฿10.4K

-43.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 Rp 6.8M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-63.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 Rp 4.8M

$633 ฿21.4K

-58.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 Rp 12.8M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-70.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 Rp 5.4M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-81.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 Rp 5.0M

$590 ฿19.9K

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

5.57

104.31%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bandung

$192 30.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 22% $42

Accommodation & Living

Bandung

$176 28.2%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 76% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Bandung

$96 15.5%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 12.7% $12

Eating Out

Bandung

$63 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 23.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandung

$57 9.1%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 65.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bandung

$22 3.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 129% $28

Getting Around

Bandung

$17 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 258% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Bandung vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $234 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bandung

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

Same time as Bandung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,390,120

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandung Chiang Mai 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bandung
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

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

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Bandung. 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: $208 in Bandung versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Bandung versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value at $623 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung and Chiang Mai are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.