Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Banyuwangi

For one person, living is cheaper in Banyuwangi: $470 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Banyuwangi
Learn more

Banyuwangi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Banyuwangi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $470 in Banyuwangi.

Chiang Mai $936
Banyuwangi $470

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $759 in Banyuwangi.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Banyuwangi $759

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,049 in Banyuwangi.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Banyuwangi $1,049

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 99% more expensive than in Banyuwangi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Banyuwangi 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$0.67 Rp 12.2K

234.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$11.24 Rp 204.0K

69.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.08 Rp 55.9K

80.19%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

41.53%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.38 Rp 6,815

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.17 Rp 3,022

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$2.10 Rp 38.2K

12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.17 Rp 75.7K

-12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.01 Rp 18.4K

93.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$0.63 Rp 11.5K

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

68.35%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$0.73 Rp 13.3K

212.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.62 Rp 65.7K

354.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.08 Rp 37.7K

33.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.22 Rp 112.9K

49.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

67.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

128.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

54.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

58.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.57 Rp 10.3K

24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.33 Rp 5,912

48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

111.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$5.49 Rp 99.7K

219.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.39 Rp 25.3K

15.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.22 Rp 40.2K

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.23 Rp 4,165

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$11.37 Rp 206.3K

375.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.49 Rp 8,869

136.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.29 Rp 5,314

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$2.58 Rp 46.9K

-6.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

101.39%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$22.4K Rp 406.4M

-5.98%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$27.9K Rp 507.1M

-3.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$46.01 Rp 834.8K

35.12%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.67 Rp 84.8K

160.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$17.65 Rp 320.3K

13.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$17.89 Rp 324.6K

108.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.03 Rp 145.8K

-53.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

245.21%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$27.75 Rp 503.5K

2552.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$1,080 Rp 19.6M

1267.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$22.34 Rp 405.3K

138.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$10.98 Rp 199.3K

124.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$54.8 Rp 994.4K

66.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$27.18 Rp 493.2K

164.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$227 Rp 4.1M

112.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$148 Rp 2.7M

109.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$558 Rp 10.1M

80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$368 Rp 6.7M

71.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,173 Rp 21.3M

101.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$778 Rp 14.1M

104.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$148 Rp 2.7M

298.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.84

-18.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Banyuwangi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Banyuwangi

$148 31.4% 52.2% $161

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Banyuwangi

$116 24.7% 50.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Banyuwangi

$52 11.1% 52.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Banyuwangi

$68 14.6% 27.7% $26

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Banyuwangi

$50 10.6% 35.8% $28

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Banyuwangi

$14 3% 76.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Banyuwangi

$22 4.6% 56.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $227 in Banyuwangi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $11 in Banyuwangi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $116 per month, with Banyuwangi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Banyuwangi

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

117,558

💱 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 October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Banyuwangi 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Banyuwangi

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 Banyuwangi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Banyuwangi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Chiang Mai is about 4 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 $227 in Banyuwangi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Chiang Mai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Banyuwangi – a meal for two runs $11 versus $19 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Banyuwangi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Banyuwangi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.