Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
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Binjai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Binjai versus $936 in Chiang Mai.

Binjai $638
Chiang Mai $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,029 in Binjai versus $1,457 in Chiang Mai.

Binjai $1,029
Chiang Mai $1,457

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,421 in Binjai versus $1,979 in Chiang Mai.

Binjai $1,421
Chiang Mai $1,979

Living in Binjai costs roughly 32% less than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Binjai 53% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$2.24 ฿75.6

-19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 272.9K

$19.00 ฿641

-20.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$5.55 ฿187

-49.37%

Cappuccino

$1.33 Rp 24.1K

$1.67 ฿56.5

-20.36%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,699

$0.64 ฿21.54

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,635

$0.31 ฿10.31

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.1K

$2.36 ฿79.5

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 56.5K

$3.66 ฿124

-14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Rp 18.8K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.44 ฿48.46

-34.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$1.33 ฿45.03

-39.85%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 Rp 112.8K

$16.45 ฿555

-62.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 Rp 57.1K

$2.78 ฿93.9

13.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 Rp 135.6K

$9.31 ฿314

-19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$2.35 ฿79.4

3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$0.97 ฿32.79

34.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 Rp 32.1K

$1.60 ฿53.9

10.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$1.28 ฿43.11

9.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$1.10 ฿37.18

78.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.71 ฿23.82

14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,978

$0.49 ฿16.36

-20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$4.14 ฿140

-41.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 Rp 391.2K

$17.52 ฿591

23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 Rp 36.4K

$1.61 ฿54.5

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 Rp 57.9K

$2.78 ฿93.9

15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,845

$0.87 ฿29.30

-75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.00 Rp 181.2K

$54.1 ฿1,825

-81.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,501

$1.16 ฿39.04

-59.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,505

$0.53 ฿17.80

-32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 Rp 57.6K

$2.42 ฿81.7

31.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.45 ฿48.88

-35.17%

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

$20.3K Rp 368.7M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-3.39%

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

$30.1K Rp 545.5M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

11.75%

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

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

$62.2 ฿2,098

10.47%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.8K

$12.17 ฿411

-67.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.11 Rp 328.1K

$20.12 ฿679

-9.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.19 Rp 365.9K

$37.31 ฿1,259

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 Rp 158.2K

$3.77 ฿127

131.56%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 52.2K

$6.49 ฿219

-55.62%

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

$105 Rp 1.9M

$736 ฿24.8K

-85.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 Rp 146.0M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-45.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.93 Rp 777.9K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 Rp 489.8K

$24.64 ฿831

9.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

$91.5 ฿3,087

-8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

$71.9 ฿2,427

-12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$482 ฿16.3K

-57.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$309 ฿10.4K

-49.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 Rp 9.0M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-50.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 Rp 7.4M

$633 ฿21.4K

-35.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-48.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$752 Rp 13.6M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-52.66%

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 Binjai: 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

Binjai

$194 30.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 20.9% $41

Accommodation & Living

Binjai

$156 24.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 97.7% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Binjai

$98 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 11.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Binjai

$91 14.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 4.2% $3.8

Eating Out

Binjai

$60 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 28.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Binjai

$26 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 93.7% $24

Getting Around

Binjai

$13 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 368% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Binjai and $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Binjai vs $19 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $234 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Binjai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as Binjai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,901

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Binjai Chiang Mai 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Binjai
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

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

Binjai is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $956 in Binjai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Binjai versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $638 per month in Binjai versus $936 in Chiang Mai – Binjai is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 82% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.