Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gili Trawangan

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Gili Trawangan: $925 and $948 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Gili Trawangan
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Gili Trawangan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Gili Trawangan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$948

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Gili Trawangan

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

A single person spends $925 per month in Chiang Mai vs $948 in Gili Trawangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $925
Gili Trawangan $948

A couple spends around $1,414 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,580 in Gili Trawangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,414
Gili Trawangan $1,580

A family of three spends $1,903 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,213 in Gili Trawangan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,903
Gili Trawangan $2,213

Chiang Mai is about 2% cheaper than Gili Trawangan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Gili Trawangan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Gili Trawangan 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 ฿76.5

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 ฿656

$23.76 Rp 427.7K

-17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ฿188

$3.74 Rp 67.4K

50.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-9.29%

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

$0.70 ฿23.40

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

-35.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.24

$0.55 Rp 9,840

-43.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿80.4

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

68.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.03

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

-19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 ฿43.62

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

39.36%

Eggs

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.65 ฿556

$13.01 Rp 234.2K

27.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.76 ฿92.2

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ฿304

$9.03 Rp 162.6K

0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.0

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-11.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.26

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

-11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.77 Rp 31.9K

-7.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.0

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ฿43.13

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.03

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-36.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.08

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.59

$0.41 Rp 7,341

29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

149.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 ฿600

$17.33 Rp 311.9K

3.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.0

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

27.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.86

$0.21 Rp 3,778

309.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

646.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.29

$0.40 Rp 7,268

202.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿18.99

$0.37 Rp 6,649

54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$5.09 Rp 91.6K

-53.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ฿47.96

$0.68 Rp 12.3K

111.76%

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

$20.7K ฿692.8K

$20.6K Rp 370.8M

0.62%

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

$26.8K ฿895.7K

$28.0K Rp 503.7M

-4.22%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$69.7 Rp 1.3M

-10.55%

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

$12.11 ฿405

$5.49 Rp 98.9K

120.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.94 ฿666

$15.46 Rp 278.3K

28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 ฿1,239

$39.13 Rp 704.3K

-5.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 ฿126

$12.90 Rp 232.3K

-70.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 ฿217

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

110.36%

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

$793 ฿26.5K

$347 Rp 6.3M

128.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿494.9K

$4,182 Rp 75.3M

254.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 ฿1,796

$38.51 Rp 693.1K

39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.62 ฿823

$30.37 Rp 546.7K

-18.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ฿3,036

$66.6 Rp 1.2M

36.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 ฿2,378

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ฿15.2K

$677 Rp 12.2M

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿9,954

$419 Rp 7.5M

-28.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 ฿30.4K

$2,150 Rp 38.7M

-57.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 ฿18.5K

$1,042 Rp 18.8M

-46.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,931 ฿64.5K

$1,665 Rp 30.0M

15.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.3K

$1,371 Rp 24.7M

5.37%

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 Gili Trawangan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2%

Gili Trawangan

$419 44.2% 40.7% $121

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5%

Gili Trawangan

$219 23.1% 7.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7%

Gili Trawangan

$92 9.7% 15.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Gili Trawangan

$91 9.6% 4% $3.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5%

Gili Trawangan

$72 7.6% 7.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gili Trawangan

$10 1.1% 83.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gili Trawangan

$45 4.8% 9.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $455 in Chiang Mai versus $677 in Gili Trawangan. 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 $20.00 in Chiang Mai versus $24.00 in Gili Trawangan. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Chiang Mai vs $219 in Gili Trawangan – so Gili Trawangan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Gili Trawangan

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

11:51 11:51 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,500

💱 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 25, 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 25, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Gili Trawangan 3,550 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gili Trawangan

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 Gili Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gili Trawangan costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,388 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,422 in Gili Trawangan. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $793 per month in Chiang Mai and $347 in Gili Trawangan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Gili Trawangan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Gili Trawangan at $948. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gili Trawangan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $948 in Gili Trawangan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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