Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bandar Lampung

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandar Lampung: $573 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Bandar Lampung
Learn more

Bandar Lampung Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bandar Lampung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$573

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Bandar Lampung

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 Bandar Lampung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $573 in Bandar Lampung.

Chiang Mai $936
Bandar Lampung $573

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $929 in Bandar Lampung.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bandar Lampung $929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,285 in Bandar Lampung.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bandar Lampung $1,285

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bandar Lampung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bandar Lampung 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

49.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$9.63 Rp 174.5K

97.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.47 Rp 44.7K

124.70%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

98.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.26 Rp 4,756

146.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.21 Rp 3,805

47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

45.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.54 Rp 46.1K

44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.03 Rp 18.6K

89.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.67 Rp 12.1K

98.51%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.21 Rp 166.8K

78.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.45 Rp 135.1K

24.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

-10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

15.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

50.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

-21.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.57 Rp 10.4K

24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.39 Rp 7,136

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.88 Rp 34.0K

120.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$20.79 Rp 376.6K

-15.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.10 Rp 56.1K

-10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.25 Rp 4,559

248.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$12.75 Rp 231.0K

324.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.53 Rp 9,642

118.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.32 Rp 5,709

65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$3.26 Rp 59.0K

-25.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.67 Rp 12.1K

116.42%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$21.7K Rp 393.1M

-2.94%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$22.3K Rp 404.0M

20.83%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$37.80 Rp 685.0K

64.47%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$6.17 Rp 111.8K

97.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$10.98 Rp 198.9K

83.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$18.84 Rp 341.3K

98.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.31 Rp 150.5K

-54.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

143.07%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$92.2 Rp 1.7M

698.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$8,164 Rp 147.9M

80.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$16.50 Rp 299.1K

223.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$27.97 Rp 506.8K

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

30.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$105 Rp 1.9M

-31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$231 Rp 4.2M

108.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$144 Rp 2.6M

114.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$543 Rp 9.8M

85.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$365 Rp 6.6M

73.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,139 Rp 20.6M

107.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$786 Rp 14.2M

102.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bandar Lampung: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bandar Lampung

$144 25.2% 53.3% $165

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bandar Lampung

$190 33.2% 18.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bandar Lampung

$99 17.2% 9% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bandar Lampung

$55 9.6% 41.8% $40

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bandar Lampung

$45 7.8% 42.6% $33

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bandar Lampung

$16 2.8% 74.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bandar Lampung

$24 4.2% 51.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $231 in Bandar Lampung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $10 in Bandar Lampung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $190 per month, with Bandar Lampung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Bandar Lampung

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

921,087

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bandar Lampung 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bandar Lampung

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 Bandar Lampung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandar Lampung wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandar Lampung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,403 in Chiang Mai and $860 in Bandar Lampung 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $231 in Bandar Lampung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandar Lampung – a meal for two runs $10 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $573 in Bandar Lampung – Bandar Lampung is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $573 in Bandar Lampung versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bandar Lampung but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bandar Lampung 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.

Expats usually find Bandar Lampung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.