Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ambon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Ambon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Ambon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $935 in Chiang Mai versus $588 in Ambon.

Chiang Mai $935
Ambon $588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Chiang Mai versus $995 in Ambon.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Ambon $995

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,999 in Chiang Mai versus $1,401 in Ambon.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Ambon $1,401

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 59% more expensive than in Ambon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ambon 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.2

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

91.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿622

$14.28 Rp 258.0K

30.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$3.83 Rp 69.2K

46.21%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

11.41%

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

$0.65 ฿21.59

$0.46 Rp 8,342

41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.18

$0.28 Rp 4,980

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.5

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿122

$3.46 Rp 62.6K

6.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.3

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

96.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.00

$0.98 Rp 17.6K

43.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.46

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

75.95%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.0

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

72.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿551

$7.18 Rp 129.7K

130.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.1

$2.85 Rp 51.5K

-6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿301

$7.47 Rp 135.0K

20.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.1

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

10.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.76

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

-20.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.60 Rp 28.8K

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.0

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.31

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

-3.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.27

$1.90 Rp 34.4K

-42.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.43

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

-5.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.16

$0.40 Rp 7,176

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

88.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿598

$20.54 Rp 371.3K

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.2

$1.81 Rp 32.7K

-10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.2

$2.92 Rp 52.8K

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.19

$0.25 Rp 4,538

272.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,766

$11.45 Rp 206.9K

361.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.28

$0.50 Rp 9,119

136.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.72

$0.29 Rp 5,330

-41.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.5

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

-33.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.16

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

83.75%

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

$21.0K ฿701.4K

$23.7K Rp 428.4M

-11.34%

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

$26.5K ฿885.1K

$35.6K Rp 642.8M

-25.44%

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

$62.6 ฿2,088

$55.9 Rp 1.0M

11.89%

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

$11.60 ฿387

$5.62 Rp 101.6K

106.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿678

$19.16 Rp 346.3K

5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,264

$18.90 Rp 341.5K

100.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿123

$7.07 Rp 127.7K

-47.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿217

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

361.70%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

666.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿553.2K

$8,975 Rp 162.2M

84.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,787

$43.58 Rp 787.6K

22.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿828

$27.84 Rp 503.2K

-10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,017

$75.7 Rp 1.4M

19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,402

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$211 Rp 3.8M

128.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.3K

$124 Rp 2.2M

149.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.3K

$612 Rp 11.1M

73.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$420 Rp 7.6M

56.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.7K

$1,295 Rp 23.4M

86.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.7K

$756 Rp 13.7M

112.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$121 Rp 2.2M

389.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Ambon

$124 21.2% 59.9% $186

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Ambon

$190 32.3% 19.8% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Ambon

$98 16.7% 9.5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ambon

$81 13.7% 14.6% $14

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Ambon

$59 10.1% 22.5% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Ambon

$14 2.5% 75.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Ambon

$22 3.7% 57.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Chiang Mai and $211 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $14 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $190 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Ambon

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

2 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

275,888

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,075 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD). 1 EUR = 20,311 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Ambon 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ambon

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

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

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 4.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Chiang Mai versus $211 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $935 per month in Chiang Mai versus $588 in Ambon – Ambon is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 78% less than in Chiang Mai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $588 in Ambon versus $935 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

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

Expats usually find Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.