Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kedah

For one person, living is cheaper in Kedah: $877 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $710 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 Kedah
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Kedah Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $877 in Kedah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kedah $877

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,399 in Kedah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kedah $1,399

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,920 in Kedah, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kedah $1,920

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kedah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kedah are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kedah 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.72 MYR 15.13

-39.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$12.32 MYR 50.2

54.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.56 MYR 18.57

21.71%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.91 MYR 11.86

-42.61%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.77 MYR 3.14

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$4.24 MYR 17.24

-44.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.36 MYR 17.73

-16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.88 MYR 7.65

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.06 MYR 4.31

35.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.72 MYR 6.98

-22.67%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$2.19 MYR 8.90

4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.55 MYR 55.1

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$4.34 MYR 17.68

-35.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.84 MYR 35.99

5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.94 MYR 11.97

-20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.63 MYR 6.65

-40.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.75 MYR 11.19

-41.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.45 MYR 5.92

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$1.10 MYR 4.48

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$1.09 MYR 4.43

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.62 MYR 18.81

-10.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$18.76 MYR 76.4

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.98 MYR 12.14

-45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.33 MYR 21.70

-47.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.76 MYR 3.10

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$12.85 MYR 52.3

320.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.03

$1.66 MYR 6.75

-30.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.79

$0.38 MYR 1.54

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$7.29 MYR 29.67

-66.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.60 MYR 2.46

141.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$45.6K MYR 185.8K

-53.85%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$35.8K MYR 145.9K

-24.84%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$36.47 MYR 148

70.47%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$9.66 MYR 39.31

25.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$29.48 MYR 120

-31.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$34.63 MYR 141

7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.85 MYR 27.89

-44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.79 MYR 19.51

35.49%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$388 MYR 1,578

89.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

38.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$58.9 MYR 240

-9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$34.76 MYR 141

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$81.6 MYR 332

12.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$70.7 MYR 288

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$358 MYR 1,456

34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$258 MYR 1,050

19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$712 MYR 2,899

41.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$607 MYR 2,469

4.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,930 MYR 7,857

22.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,258 MYR 5,119

26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,339 MYR 5,451

-55.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kedah

$258 29.4% 16.5% $51

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kedah

$257 29.3% 9.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kedah

$111 12.6% 1.9% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kedah

$76 8.6% 20% $19

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kedah

$113 12.9% 45.5% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kedah

$19 2.2% 68.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kedah

$44 5% 12.1% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $358 in Kedah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kedah are about 2.3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Kedah. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $257 in Kedah – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Kedah

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

417,800

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kedah 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kedah

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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Kedah, 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 $1,316 in Kedah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $388 in Kedah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $877 in Kedah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kedah – 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.