Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Amed, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Amed, Bali: $887 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Amed, Bali
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Amed, Bali Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Amed, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Amed, Bali

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 Amed, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $887 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Amed, Bali $887

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,464 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Amed, Bali $1,464

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,042 in Amed, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Amed, Bali $2,042

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Amed, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Amed, Bali are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Amed, Bali 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.09 Rp 38.0K

7.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$21.64 Rp 392.7K

-12.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.47 Rp 62.9K

59.94%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.69 Rp 30.7K

-1.18%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.52 Rp 9,517

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.69 Rp 30.7K

39.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.69 Rp 48.9K

36.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

46.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

-26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

34.34%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.76 Rp 32.0K

29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$14.94 Rp 271.1K

10.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

-16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.20 Rp 185.0K

-8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.14 Rp 56.9K

-25.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

-28.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

-18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

-12.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

-19.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.00 Rp 36.2K

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

-15.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.42 Rp 7,601

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.84 Rp 33.3K

125.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.40 Rp 352.0K

-9.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.01 Rp 36.5K

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.50 Rp 45.3K

11.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.20 Rp 3,629

335.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$7.71 Rp 140.0K

601.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$0.37 Rp 6,796

213.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.37 Rp 6,649

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$5.37 Rp 97.5K

-54.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

95.95%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$20.5K Rp 372.9M

2.48%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$27.0K Rp 489.7M

-0.17%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$76.5 Rp 1.4M

-18.70%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$6.00 Rp 108.8K

102.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

13.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$32.31 Rp 586.2K

15.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.15 Rp 220.5K

-68.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.85 Rp 51.6K

127.72%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$391 Rp 7.1M

88.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$4,659 Rp 84.5M

216.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$41.25 Rp 748.5K

29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$32.10 Rp 582.5K

-23.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$69.8 Rp 1.3M

31.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$532 Rp 9.7M

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$327 Rp 5.9M

-5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,678 Rp 30.5M

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$820 Rp 14.9M

-22.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,300 Rp 23.6M

81.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,071 Rp 19.4M

48.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.78

-59.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amed, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Amed, Bali

$327 36.9% 5.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Amed, Bali

$247 27.9% 5.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Amed, Bali

$96 10.8% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Amed, Bali

$100 11.3% 6% $5.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Amed, Bali

$68 7.6% 12.8% $10

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Amed, Bali

$11 1.2% 82.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Amed, Bali

$38 4.3% 24.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $532 in Amed, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $22 in Amed, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $247 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Amed, Bali

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

10,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,337 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Amed, Bali 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Amed, Bali

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 Amed, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 5% more than Amed, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,331 in Amed, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $532 in Amed, Bali. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Amed, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $391 in Amed, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $887 in Amed, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $887 in Amed, Bali to $936 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.