Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Ende

For one person, living is cheaper in Ende: $604 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ende
Learn more

Ende Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Ende

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $604 in Ende, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Ende $604

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $972 in Ende, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Ende $972

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,339 in Ende, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Ende $1,339

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Ende, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Ende are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Ende 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.44 Rp 26.2K

55.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$15.61 Rp 283.7K

21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.07 Rp 55.8K

80.78%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

7.74%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.43 Rp 7,884

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.22 Rp 3,966

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.40 Rp 43.6K

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.28 Rp 59.6K

11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

74.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.93 Rp 16.9K

54.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

84.72%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.38 Rp 25.2K

65.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$7.69 Rp 139.7K

113.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.59 Rp 47.1K

7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.02 Rp 127.7K

32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.06 Rp 37.4K

14.08%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

-30.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.04 Rp 19.0K

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.12 Rp 20.4K

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

-44.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.91 Rp 16.6K

-21.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.37 Rp 6,792

32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.51 Rp 45.6K

64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$19.00 Rp 345.2K

-7.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.23 Rp 4,241

278.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$11.72 Rp 213.0K

361.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.46 Rp 8,330

152.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.29 Rp 5,276

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.55 Rp 46.4K

-5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

88.31%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$23.3K Rp 424.1M

-9.74%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$27.2K Rp 493.9M

-0.85%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$61.3 Rp 1.1M

1.45%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

190.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$17.13 Rp 311.4K

17.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$20.01 Rp 363.7K

86.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.40 Rp 152.7K

-55.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

153.52%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$102 Rp 1.9M

621.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$7,365 Rp 133.8M

100.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$38.25 Rp 695.1K

39.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.29 Rp 568.7K

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$69.9 Rp 1.3M

30.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$74.4 Rp 1.4M

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$209 Rp 3.8M

130.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$142 Rp 2.6M

117.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$524 Rp 9.5M

91.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$355 Rp 6.5M

78.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,080 Rp 19.6M

118.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$721 Rp 13.1M

120.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Ende: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Ende

$142 23.5% 54.1% $167

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Ende

$183 30.3% 21.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Ende

$96 15.9% 11.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Ende

$83 13.7% 12.6% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Ende

$61 10% 22% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Ende

$15 2.4% 76.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Ende

$25 4.2% 50% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $209 in Ende. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Ende. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $183 – making Ende the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Ende

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Ende 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Ende

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 Ende: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 55% more than Ende, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $906 in Ende. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ende, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $102 in Ende. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Ende – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Ende is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 55% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.