Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kajang, Selangor

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Kajang, Selangor: $936 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
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Kajang, Selangor Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Kajang, Selangor

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $925 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kajang, Selangor $925

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,410 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kajang, Selangor $1,410

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,895 in Kajang, Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kajang, Selangor $1,895

Chiang Mai and Kajang, Selangor have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chiang Mai and Kajang, Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kajang, Selangor 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.77 MYR 15.28

-40.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$18.15 MYR 73.6

4.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.83 MYR 19.59

14.91%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.86 MYR 11.58

-41.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.79 MYR 3.18

-18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.46 MYR 1.84

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.48 MYR 18.16

-47.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.17 MYR 25.00

-40.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.69 MYR 6.85

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.07 MYR 4.33

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.50 MYR 6.09

-11.33%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.65 MYR 6.70

38.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$18.37 MYR 74.5

-10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.45 MYR 18.04

-37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.06 MYR 40.77

-7.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.43 MYR 13.90

-31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.69 MYR 6.83

-42.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.31 MYR 9.37

-30.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.51 MYR 6.13

-0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.23 MYR 4.98

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.68 MYR 6.81

-34.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.17 MYR 4.75

-39.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.55 MYR 2.23

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.29 MYR 17.41

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$14.03 MYR 56.9

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.99 MYR 12.13

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.01 MYR 12.22

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.75 MYR 3.04

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.39 MYR 50.2

336.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-7.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.75 MYR 3.05

-29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$5.01 MYR 20.33

-51.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.81 MYR 3.29

79.01%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$43.4K MYR 176.1K

-51.52%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$35.4K MYR 143.7K

-23.97%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$53.0 MYR 215

17.39%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.61 MYR 38.96

26.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.69 MYR 104

-21.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$42.05 MYR 170

-11.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.38 MYR 29.90

-48.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.91 MYR 19.90

32.18%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$234 MYR 950

214.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$4,442 MYR 18.0K

232.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$53.7 MYR 218

-0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.39 MYR 66.4

50.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$81.4 MYR 330

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$98.0 MYR 397

-26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$358 MYR 1,453

34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$274 MYR 1,111

12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$727 MYR 2,949

38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$491 MYR 1,991

28.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,045 MYR 8,291

15.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,056 MYR 4,282

50.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.06

37.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kajang, Selangor

$274 29.6% 11.3% $35

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$259 28% 10.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kajang, Selangor

$112 12.1% 3.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kajang, Selangor

$88 9.6% 6.6% $6.2

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.8% 52.9% $41

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2.2% 66.8% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kajang, Selangor

$52 5.6% 3.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $358 in Kajang, Selangor. 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 $18 in Kajang, Selangor. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $259 in Kajang, Selangor – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

13:32 1:32 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,047,356

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kajang, Selangor 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kajang, Selangor

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 Kajang, Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,387 in Kajang, Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kajang, Selangor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $358 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai and $18 in Kajang, Selangor. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Kajang, Selangor. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $925 in Kajang, Selangor, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kajang, Selangor – 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.