Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kemaman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kemaman: $897 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Kemaman
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Kemaman Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Kemaman

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $897 in Kemaman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Kemaman $897

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,369 in Kemaman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Kemaman $1,369

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,841 in Kemaman, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Kemaman $1,841

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Kemaman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.62 MYR 10.65

-14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$14.92 MYR 60.7

27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.40 MYR 17.90

26.14%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$3.09 MYR 12.57

-45.95%

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

$0.64 ฿21.53

$0.48 MYR 1.93

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.30

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-13.89%

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

$1.88 MYR 7.66

3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.45

$1.04 MYR 4.24

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.01

$1.01 MYR 4.13

31.68%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.15 MYR 4.70

98.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.61 MYR 39.11

71.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$3.19 MYR 13.00

-12.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.30 MYR 37.84

0.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.59 MYR 14.63

-34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.78

$1.87 MYR 7.62

-48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.62 MYR 10.66

-38.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.82 MYR 7.40

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.10

$2.17 MYR 8.83

-41.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.17

$2.04 MYR 8.30

-46.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.81

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-51.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.57 MYR 18.60

-9.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.42 MYR 79.1

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.72 MYR 11.09

-40.81%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.11

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$10.79 MYR 43.94

401.30%

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 1.46

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$8.90 MYR 36.24

-72.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.87

$0.48 MYR 1.94

202.08%

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

$21.1K ฿710.3K

$46.4K MYR 188.7K

-54.58%

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

$26.9K ฿908.7K

$36.1K MYR 146.8K

-25.32%

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

$62.2 ฿2,097

$49.04 MYR 200

26.77%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$8.25 MYR 33.58

47.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$27.11 MYR 110

-25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$41.78 MYR 170

-10.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.29 MYR 25.62

-40.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.79 MYR 19.49

35.49%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$123 MYR 500

498.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.0K

$10.3K MYR 42.1K

42.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,800

$52.0 MYR 211

2.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$30.15 MYR 123

-18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,086

$78.6 MYR 320

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,426

$86.0 MYR 350

-16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$434 MYR 1,767

11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$288 MYR 1,171

7.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$636 MYR 2,589

58.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$546 MYR 2,223

15.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$2,062 MYR 8,395

14.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,069 MYR 4,351

48.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Kemaman: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Kemaman

$288 32.1% 6.9% $21

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Kemaman

$243 27.1% 3.8% $8.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Kemaman

$111 12.4% 2.2% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kemaman

$84 9.4% 10.6% $10

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Kemaman

$102 11.4% 32% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Kemaman

$17 1.9% 72.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Kemaman

$51 5.7% 2.1% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $434 in Kemaman. 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 $15 in Kemaman. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $243 in Kemaman – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Kemaman

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

02:24 2:24 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

215,582

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kemaman 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kemaman

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 Kemaman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Kemaman, 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 $1,346 in Kemaman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kemaman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $123 in Kemaman. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Kemaman – 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.