Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $319 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Banda Aceh $319

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $510 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Banda Aceh $510

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $701 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Banda Aceh $701

Chiang Mai costs about 193% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-5.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

162.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

67.16%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

36.07%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.38 Rp 6,876

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.21 Rp 3,801

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

-3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

24.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

71.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

52.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

95.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

104.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

97.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-67.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

-11.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.40 Rp 7,239

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

67.05%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

89.35%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

411.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

-13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

299.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

-72.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

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

$727 ฿24.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

767.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

93.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

11.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

107.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

161.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Banda Aceh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Banda Aceh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Banda Aceh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $7 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $131 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

223,446

💱 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 = 4.93 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 = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Banda Aceh 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chiang Mai is pricier by about 193%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $479 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $7 in Banda Aceh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $935 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.