Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Depok

For one person, living is cheaper in Depok: $530 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Depok, Indonesia
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Depok
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $530 in Depok, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $936
  • Depok $530

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $795 in Depok, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,457
  • Depok $795

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,061 in Depok, rent included.

  • Chiang Mai $1,979
  • Depok $1,061

Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Depok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Depok are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Depok 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 ฿75.6
$1.35 Rp 24.5K
65.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.00 ฿641
$13.93 Rp 252.7K
36.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 ฿187
$3.33 Rp 60.5K
66.67%
Cappuccino
$1.67 ฿56.5
$1.53 Rp 27.8K
9.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ฿21.55
$0.46 Rp 8,325
39.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ฿10.31
$0.26 Rp 4,729
19.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.36 ฿79.6
$2.50 Rp 45.4K
-5.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 ฿124
$3.00 Rp 54.4K
22.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ฿65.8
$1.21 Rp 22.0K
61.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿48.48
$0.95 Rp 17.1K
51.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 ฿45.04
$0.84 Rp 15.3K
58.33%
Eggs
$2.28 ฿77.1
$1.48 Rp 26.8K
54.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.45 ฿555
$7.19 Rp 130.4K
128.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.78 ฿93.9
$2.92 Rp 52.9K
-4.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.31 ฿314
$7.34 Rp 133.1K
26.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 ฿79.4
$2.17 Rp 39.3K
8.29%
Banana (1kg)
$0.97 ฿32.80
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
-10.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 ฿53.9
$1.48 Rp 26.8K
8.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.93 Rp 16.8K
61.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 ฿43.12
$1.05 Rp 19.0K
21.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ฿37.19
$1.84 Rp 33.4K
-40.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 ฿23.82
$0.69 Rp 12.5K
2.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.37
$0.42 Rp 7,683
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.14 ฿140
$2.58 Rp 46.8K
60.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.52 ฿591
$20.80 Rp 377.2K
-15.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 ฿54.5
$1.89 Rp 34.3K
-14.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ฿94.0
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
-6.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.87 ฿29.31
$0.23 Rp 4,190
278.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.1 ฿1,826
$12.72 Rp 230.7K
325.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.06
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
43.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.53 ฿17.80
$0.32 Rp 5,786
65.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.42 ฿81.8
$2.30 Rp 41.7K
5.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$0.89 Rp 16.2K
62.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ฿710.7K
$21.0K Rp 381.3M
0.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿909.3K
$31.7K Rp 574.5M
-14.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$62.2 ฿2,098
$32.99 Rp 598.3K
88.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.17 ฿411
$4.35 Rp 79.0K
179.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12 ฿679
$19.11 Rp 346.6K
5.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.31 ฿1,259
$3.27 Rp 59.3K
1040.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.77 ฿127
$5.45 Rp 98.9K
-30.83%
Cinema Ticket
$6.49 ฿219
$2.73 Rp 49.4K
137.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 ฿24.8K
$93.6 Rp 1.7M
686.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ฿498.3K
$8,069 Rp 146.4M
82.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 ฿1,801
$43.66 Rp 791.9K
22.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.64 ฿831
$28.69 Rp 520.4K
-14.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 ฿3,087
$70.5 Rp 1.3M
29.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.9 ฿2,428
$68.6 Rp 1.2M
4.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ฿16.3K
$209 Rp 3.8M
130.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ฿10.4K
$104 Rp 1.9M
196.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,006 ฿33.9K
$251 Rp 4.5M
301.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$633 ฿21.4K
$139 Rp 2.5M
354.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,363 ฿79.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chiang Mai
Depok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$590 ฿19.9K
$218 Rp 4.0M
170.44%
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 Depok: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chiang Mai
$309
Depok
$104 66.3% $205
Groceries & Markets
Chiang Mai
$234
Depok
$189 19.5% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Chiang Mai
$109
Depok
$95 12.4% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chiang Mai
$94
Depok
$56 40.2% $38
Eating Out
Chiang Mai
$78
Depok
$61 21.9% $17
Getting Around
Chiang Mai
$61
Depok
$16 73.8% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Chiang Mai
$50
Depok
$8.7 82.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $209 in Depok. 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $14 in Depok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $189 – making Depok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🇮🇩 Depok
🕒 Local time
16:06 4:06 PM
16:06 4:06 PM
Same time as Chiang Mai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
127,240
1,738,570
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chiang Mai Depok 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chiang Mai
  • Depok

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 Depok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chiang Mai or Depok?
Chiang Mai costs about 77% more than Depok, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chiang Mai and in Depok?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $794 in Depok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chiang Mai or Depok?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Depok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Chiang Mai and in Depok?
Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $94 in Depok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Chiang Mai or in Depok?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Chiang Mai or in Depok?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Depok, where all-in costs run around $530, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Depok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Depok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chiang Mai or to Depok?
If budget matters most, go with Depok. 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.

Chiang Mai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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