Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Bekasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bekasi: $659 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bekasi
Learn more

Bekasi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Bekasi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Chiang Mai versus $659 in Bekasi.

Chiang Mai $936
Bekasi $659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,457 in Chiang Mai versus $1,065 in Bekasi.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Bekasi $1,065

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,979 in Chiang Mai versus $1,472 in Bekasi.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Bekasi $1,472

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 42% more expensive than in Bekasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 31% lower, Bekasi 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

-20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$13.68 Rp 248.1K

38.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

65.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.53 Rp 27.8K

9.15%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.42 Rp 7,579

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.22 Rp 3,980

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.50 Rp 45.3K

-5.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

-3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

77.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

51.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.63 Rp 29.6K

39.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.28 Rp 168.4K

77.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.86 Rp 51.9K

-2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.84 Rp 142.2K

18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

-29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.53 Rp 45.8K

-36.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.33 Rp 24.2K

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

-4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

-48.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

-20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.44 Rp 7,994

11.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

52.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$21.79 Rp 395.2K

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.90 Rp 34.4K

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.12 Rp 56.7K

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.34 Rp 6,190

155.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$10.87 Rp 197.1K

397.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

38.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.43 Rp 7,773

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

10.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

81.25%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$21.4K Rp 387.9M

-1.53%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$32.7K Rp 593.6M

-17.68%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$63.4 Rp 1.1M

-1.88%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.91 Rp 107.2K

105.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$18.51 Rp 335.8K

8.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$15.63 Rp 283.5K

138.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.07 Rp 110.1K

-37.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.05 Rp 55.3K

112.79%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$128 Rp 2.3M

473.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$8,220 Rp 149.1M

79.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

-5.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$31.43 Rp 570.1K

-21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$77.0 Rp 1.4M

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$94.3 Rp 1.7M

-23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$201 Rp 3.7M

139.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$131 Rp 2.4M

135.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$460 Rp 8.3M

118.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$359 Rp 6.5M

76.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$590 Rp 10.7M

300.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$888 Rp 16.1M

78.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$359 Rp 6.5M

64.09%

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 Bekasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Bekasi

$131 19.9% 57.6% $178

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Bekasi

$213 32.3% 9.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Bekasi

$117 17.7% 7.4% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Bekasi

$88 13.3% 7.1% $6.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Bekasi

$74 11.2% 5.2% $4

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Bekasi

$15 2.3% 75.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Bekasi

$22 3.3% 56.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Chiang Mai and $201 in Bekasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 64% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Chiang Mai vs $14 in Bekasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $213 per month, with Bekasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Bekasi

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,334,871

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Bekasi 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Bekasi

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 Bekasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $936 in Chiang Mai and $659 in Bekasi, so Bekasi is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $201 in Bekasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bekasi – 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.

All in, you’ll spend $936 per month in Chiang Mai versus $659 in Bekasi – Bekasi is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Bekasi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Bekasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.