Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Denpasar, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Denpasar, Bali: $905 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $370 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
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Denpasar, Bali Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Denpasar, 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 Denpasar, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $905 in Denpasar, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Denpasar, Bali $905

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,497 in Denpasar, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Denpasar, Bali $1,497

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,089 in Denpasar, Bali, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Denpasar, Bali $2,089

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Denpasar, Bali are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Denpasar, Bali 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

0.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$23.40 Rp 424.0K

-18.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.84 Rp 69.6K

44.53%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.76 Rp 31.8K

-5.11%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.54 Rp 9,749

-42.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$2.84 Rp 51.5K

28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

59.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

-19.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

35.71%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

32.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$14.45 Rp 261.9K

13.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.22 Rp 58.3K

-13.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.52 Rp 172.4K

-2.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.92 Rp 52.9K

-19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

-22.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.88 Rp 34.0K

-14.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.59 Rp 28.8K

-5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

-14.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.39 Rp 7,080

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

128.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$17.97 Rp 325.7K

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.91 Rp 34.7K

-15.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.23 Rp 4,155

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$7.97 Rp 144.5K

578.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$0.42 Rp 7,612

176.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.43 Rp 7,737

23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$3.07 Rp 55.7K

-21.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.75 Rp 13.6K

93.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$21.6K Rp 391.2M

-2.45%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$29.5K Rp 535.0M

-8.74%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

-15.53%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$5.88 Rp 106.5K

106.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$16.22 Rp 293.9K

24.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$35.04 Rp 634.9K

6.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$12.85 Rp 232.9K

-70.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.03 Rp 54.8K

114.19%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$378 Rp 6.8M

94.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$4,463 Rp 80.9M

230.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$39.59 Rp 717.4K

34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$29.73 Rp 538.6K

-17.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$67.0 Rp 1.2M

36.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$66.8 Rp 1.2M

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$591 Rp 10.7M

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$360 Rp 6.5M

-14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$1,857 Rp 33.7M

-45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$889 Rp 16.1M

-28.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,448 Rp 26.2M

63.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,176 Rp 21.3M

35.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$279 Rp 5.1M

111.08%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Denpasar, Bali

$360 39.8% 16.6% $51

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$233 25.8% 0.6% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$91 10.1% 15.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Denpasar, Bali

$96 10.6% 1.3% $1.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8% 7.3% $5.7

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Denpasar, Bali

$11 1.3% 81.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Denpasar, Bali

$41 4.5% 18.3% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $591 in Denpasar, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $23 in Denpasar, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $233 in Denpasar, Bali – so Denpasar, Bali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

788,445

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Denpasar, Bali 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Denpasar, 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 Denpasar, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Denpasar, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,357 in Denpasar, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $591 in Denpasar, Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $23 in Denpasar, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Denpasar, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $905 in Denpasar, Bali, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Denpasar, Bali costs $905 versus $936 in Chiang Mai. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Denpasar, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.