Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Hulhumale

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,420 in Hulhumale, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hulhumale outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Hulhumale
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Hulhumale Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Hulhumale

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,420

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,420 in Hulhumale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Hulhumale $1,420

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,583 in Hulhumale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Hulhumale $2,583

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $3,747 in Hulhumale, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Hulhumale $3,747

Chiang Mai is about 34% cheaper than Hulhumale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Hulhumale is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$6.09 MVR 93.9

-63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$39.34 MVR 607

-51.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$9.58 MVR 148

-42.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.78 MVR 73.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.47 MVR 53.5

-51.87%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$1.60 MVR 24.64

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.29 MVR 4.46

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.54 MVR 23.70

26.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.62 MVR 24.97

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.33 MVR 5.10

303.03%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.84 MVR 28.39

23.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$3.29 MVR 50.8

400.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.94 MVR 91.5

-53.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.36 MVR 144

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.02 MVR 61.9

-41.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$3.14 MVR 48.43

-69.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.84 MVR 43.72

-43.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.65 MVR 40.87

-43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.23 MVR 19.00

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.15 MVR 17.66

-4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$2.08 MVR 32.15

-65.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.58 MVR 9.00

-15.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.13 MVR 187

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 MVR 41.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MVR 29.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$12.99 MVR 200

-68.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.99 MVR 30.74

-41.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.92 MVR 29.58

-72.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$10.09 MVR 156

-76.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.98 MVR 15.04

47.96%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$32.6K MVR 502.7K

-35.40%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$28.9K MVR 444.9K

-6.62%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$105 MVR 1,617

-40.71%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$29.88 MVR 461

-59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$71.5 MVR 1,103

-71.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$9.57 MVR 148

-32.18%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$183 MVR 2,825

301.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$3,027 MVR 46.7K

387.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$38.84 MVR 599

37.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$49.67 MVR 766

-50.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$85.7 MVR 1,321

6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$52.3 MVR 806

37.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$1,147 MVR 17.7K

-57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$762 MVR 11.8K

-59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$2,237 MVR 34.5K

-55.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$2,299 MVR 35.5K

-72.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$5,433 MVR 83.8K

-56.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$506 MVR 7,798

214.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$721 MVR 11.1K

-18.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hulhumale: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Hulhumale

$762 53.7% 147% $453

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Hulhumale

$193 13.6% 17.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Hulhumale

$102 7.2% 6.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Hulhumale

$206 14.5% 118% $112

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Hulhumale

$127 8.9% 63.3% $49

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Hulhumale

$12 * 0.8% 81.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Hulhumale

$19 * 1.4% 61.9% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $1,147 in Hulhumale. 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 22% higher in Hulhumale, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $39 in Hulhumale. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $193 in Hulhumale – so Hulhumale wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇻 Hulhumale

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

2 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.21 MVR (100 MVR = 5.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Hulhumale 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Hulhumale

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 Hulhumale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hulhumale costs about 52% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $2,130 in Hulhumale. 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 $1,147 in Hulhumale.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $39 in Hulhumale. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Hulhumale – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,420 in Hulhumale. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,420 in Hulhumale. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hulhumale makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.