Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $623 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
Learn more

Bandung Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $623 in Bandung.

Chiang Mai $936
Bandung $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $925 in Bandung.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bandung $925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,226 in Bandung.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bandung $1,226

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 50% more expensive than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

60.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$13.70 Rp 249.1K

38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.22 Rp 58.5K

72.36%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

12.84%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.43 Rp 7,780

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.22 Rp 3,994

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

18.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

75.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

48.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

54.65%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

61.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$6.94 Rp 126.1K

137.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

-4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.93 Rp 144.1K

17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

-7.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

9.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

68.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

17.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.43 Rp 7,815

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.56 Rp 46.6K

61.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$22.37 Rp 406.6K

-21.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

-11.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.27 Rp 4,863

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$12.56 Rp 228.4K

330.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

38.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.54 Rp 9,737

-1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.32 Rp 42.2K

4.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

72.62%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$20.8K Rp 377.2M

1.46%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.2K Rp 585.8M

-16.41%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$33.56 Rp 609.9K

85.25%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.22 Rp 76.8K

188.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$19.17 Rp 348.4K

4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$16.35 Rp 297.2K

128.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.92 Rp 107.7K

-36.32%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

129.33%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

699.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$8,239 Rp 149.7M

79.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$38.89 Rp 706.7K

37.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.30 Rp 568.8K

-21.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

22.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$208 Rp 3.8M

131.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$176 Rp 3.2M

75.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$372 Rp 6.8M

170.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$264 Rp 4.8M

140.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$706 Rp 12.8M

234.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$298 Rp 5.4M

433.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$277 Rp 5.0M

112.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.38

-51.05%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bandung

$176 28.2% 43.2% $133

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bandung

$192 30.8% 18.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bandung

$96 15.5% 11.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 39.7% $38

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 18.9% $15

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bandung

$17 2.8% 72% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bandung

$22 3.5% 56.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $208 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 2.1 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 Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $192 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,390,120

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bandung 3,010 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bandung

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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 2.1 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: $482 in Chiang Mai versus $208 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Bandung versus $936 in Chiang Mai, a $800 budget is realistic in Bandung but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Bandung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value at $623 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.