Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Jambi

For one person, living is cheaper in Jambi: $614 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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 Jambi
Learn more

Jambi Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Jambi

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $614 in Jambi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Jambi $614

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $977 in Jambi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Jambi $977

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,340 in Jambi, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Jambi $1,340

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Jambi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Jambi are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Jambi 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

49.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$12.18 Rp 219.0K

55.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$2.82 Rp 50.6K

96.81%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

26.52%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.43 Rp 7,655

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.17 Rp 3,103

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.11 Rp 38.0K

11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.51 Rp 63.1K

4.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

65.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.49

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

41.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.05

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

54.65%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.47 Rp 26.4K

55.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$8.08 Rp 145.3K

103.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.72 Rp 48.8K

2.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.31 Rp 131.4K

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.23 Rp 40.1K

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.81

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

-24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

26.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.14

$1.20 Rp 21.6K

6.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.21

$1.96 Rp 35.2K

-43.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.83

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.43 Rp 7,725

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.67 Rp 47.9K

55.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$22.44 Rp 403.4K

-21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

-12.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.87 Rp 51.5K

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.32

$0.26 Rp 4,661

234.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$11.33 Rp 203.7K

377.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.07

$0.50 Rp 8,901

132.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.81

$0.31 Rp 5,541

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

-19.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

42.16%

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

$21.1K ฿710.9K

$23.0K Rp 412.8M

-8.28%

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

$26.9K ฿909.5K

$36.3K Rp 651.9M

-25.71%

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

$62.2 ฿2,099

$73.6 Rp 1.3M

-15.52%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$3.81 Rp 68.6K

219.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$17.48 Rp 314.3K

15.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$15.36 Rp 276.2K

142.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.55 Rp 153.7K

-55.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

139.48%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$86.2 Rp 1.5M

754.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.4K

$8,342 Rp 150.0M

76.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$42.73 Rp 768.2K

24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$31.73 Rp 570.4K

-22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,088

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$66.6 Rp 1.2M

8.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$215 Rp 3.9M

124.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$134 Rp 2.4M

131.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$567 Rp 10.2M

77.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$349 Rp 6.3M

81.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,148 Rp 20.6M

105.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$759 Rp 13.6M

109.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$198 Rp 3.6M

197.20%

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 Jambi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Jambi

$134 21.7% 56.8% $175

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Jambi

$198 32.3% 15.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Jambi

$96 15.6% 11.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Jambi

$95 15.5% 0.4% $0.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Jambi

$56 9.2% 27.4% $21

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Jambi

$14 2.3% 76.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Jambi

$21 3.4% 58.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $215 in Jambi. 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 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Jambi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $198 – making Jambi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Jambi

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

750,857

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 17,978 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,042 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Jambi 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Jambi

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 Jambi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Jambi, 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 $921 in Jambi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jambi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $215 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $86 in Jambi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $614 in Jambi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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