Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Cemagi, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $925 a month against $1,143 in Cemagi, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cemagi, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cemagi, Bali
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Cemagi, Bali Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Cemagi, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,143

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Cemagi, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,143 in Cemagi, Bali.

Chiang Mai $925
Cemagi, Bali $1,143

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Chiang Mai versus $1,926 in Cemagi, Bali.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Cemagi, Bali $1,926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Chiang Mai versus $2,709 in Cemagi, Bali.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Cemagi, Bali $2,709

Living in Chiang Mai costs roughly 19% less than in Cemagi, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 32% lower, Cemagi, Bali 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.78 Rp 50.0K

-17.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$29.77 Rp 535.9K

-34.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$4.63 Rp 83.4K

21.17%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-24.89%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

-49.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.68 Rp 12.3K

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.74 Rp 67.3K

-0.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$2.12 Rp 38.1K

-33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

13.91%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.01 Rp 36.2K

8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$16.27 Rp 292.8K

2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$3.61 Rp 64.9K

-23.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$11.41 Rp 205.3K

-20.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-28.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

-29.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-20.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.76 Rp 31.6K

-26.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

-50.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.51 Rp 9,209

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

107.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$21.74 Rp 391.3K

-17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

-29.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

2.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.27 Rp 4,894

218.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$9.24 Rp 166.3K

476.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.50 Rp 8,956

142.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.52 Rp 9,435

9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$2.62 Rp 47.2K

-10.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.91 Rp 16.3K

58.24%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$26.6K Rp 479.1M

-22.11%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$35.1K Rp 632.6M

-23.74%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

-23.38%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$6.55 Rp 117.9K

84.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$18.62 Rp 335.1K

7.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$50.7 Rp 912.2K

-26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$16.73 Rp 301.2K

-77.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.98 Rp 71.6K

63.32%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$461 Rp 8.3M

71.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$5,348 Rp 96.3M

176.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$33.81 Rp 608.5K

-27.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$76.8 Rp 1.4M

18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$74.2 Rp 1.3M

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$840 Rp 15.1M

-45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$499 Rp 9.0M

-40.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$2,669 Rp 48.0M

-65.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,275 Rp 23.0M

-56.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$2,048 Rp 36.9M

-5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,665 Rp 30.0M

-13.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 ฿19.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.78

-59.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Cemagi, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Cemagi, Bali

$499 43.7% 67.5% $201

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Cemagi, Bali

$273 23.9% 16% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Cemagi, Bali

$102 9% 5.3% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Cemagi, Bali

$107 9.3% 12.9% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Cemagi, Bali

$90 7.9% 14.2% $11

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Cemagi, Bali

$13 1.2% 77.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Cemagi, Bali

$59 5.1% 17.1% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Chiang Mai and $840 in Cemagi, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Chiang Mai vs $30.00 in Cemagi, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $273 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Cemagi, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

4,824

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Cemagi, Bali 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Cemagi, Bali

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 Cemagi, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai and Cemagi, Bali differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($925 vs $1,143 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,388 in Chiang Mai and $1,714 in Cemagi, Bali 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: $455 in Chiang Mai versus $840 in Cemagi, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Chiang Mai versus $461 in Cemagi, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Cemagi, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Chiang Mai versus $1,143 in Cemagi, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Cemagi, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Cemagi, Bali 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Cemagi, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.