Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Gombak

For one person, living is cheaper in Gombak: $904 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Gombak
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Gombak Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Gombak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $904 in Gombak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Gombak $904

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,437 in Gombak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Gombak $1,437

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,970 in Gombak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Gombak $1,970

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.60 MYR 14.65

-37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$24.44 MYR 99.5

-22.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$5.02 MYR 20.45

10.56%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.96 MYR 12.06

-43.58%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.91 MYR 3.72

-29.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.28 MYR 13.34

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.76 MYR 23.45

-36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.92 MYR 7.83

1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.07 MYR 4.36

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-9.52%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.76 MYR 7.18

29.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.87 MYR 40.19

66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.35 MYR 13.65

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.68 MYR 39.42

-3.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.40 MYR 13.82

-30.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.88 MYR 7.65

-48.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.63 MYR 10.72

-39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.81 MYR 7.35

-17.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$2.08 MYR 8.48

-38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.96 MYR 7.98

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.44 MYR 5.84

-50.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.52 MYR 2.11

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.92 MYR 81.1

-12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.68 MYR 10.90

-39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.44 MYR 18.07

-37.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.82 MYR 3.35

6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$12.38 MYR 50.4

336.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.36 MYR 1.45

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$9.10 MYR 37.02

-73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.87 MYR 3.55

66.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$46.0K MYR 187.3K

-54.23%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$35.1K MYR 142.9K

-23.27%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$50.0 MYR 204

24.34%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$8.39 MYR 34.17

45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$26.39 MYR 107

-23.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$37.05 MYR 151

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$5.93 MYR 24.15

-36.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.11 MYR 12.68

108.68%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$282 MYR 1,149

160.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$10.6K MYR 43.0K

39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$51.7 MYR 211

3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$29.84 MYR 121

-17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$76.1 MYR 310

20.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$84.2 MYR 343

-14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$411 MYR 1,671

17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$285 MYR 1,162

8.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$732 MYR 2,981

37.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$608 MYR 2,473

4.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,943 MYR 7,910

21.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,168 MYR 4,755

36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$542 MYR 2,206

8.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.51

23.50%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gombak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Gombak

$285 31.6% 7.6% $24

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Gombak

$250 27.7% 6.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Gombak

$109 12% 0.2% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Gombak

$85 9.4% 10.2% $9.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Gombak

$113 12.5% 45.4% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Gombak

$19 2.1% 69.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Gombak

$43 4.8% 13.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $411 in Gombak. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $24 in Gombak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $250 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Gombak

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

41,699

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Gombak 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Gombak

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 Gombak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Gombak, 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 $1,356 in Gombak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gombak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $282 in Gombak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $904 in Gombak. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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 Gombak. 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.