Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living costs are similar in Chiang Mai and in Kuala Terengganu: $938 and $924 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

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

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Kuala Terengganu

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $924 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Kuala Terengganu $924

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Kuala Terengganu $1,372

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Kuala Terengganu $1,821

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Kuala Terengganu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kuala Terengganu are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Kuala Terengganu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$2.49 MYR 10.15

-9.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$23.06 MYR 94.1

-16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.72 MYR 19.25

18.43%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.72 MYR 11.08

-36.76%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.47 MYR 1.90

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.28 MYR 1.14

17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.56 MYR 14.52

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.18 MYR 17.05

-6.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.70 MYR 6.94

20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.02 MYR 4.15

37.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.28 MYR 5.22

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.13 MYR 8.68

5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$15.66 MYR 63.9

8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.35 MYR 17.73

-37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$8.41 MYR 34.29

11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.36 MYR 13.73

-28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.61 MYR 6.59

-37.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.10 MYR 8.59

-23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.50 MYR 6.13

1.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.47 MYR 6.01

-12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.09 MYR 4.45

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.53 MYR 2.17

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.46 MYR 18.18

-2.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-44.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$4.82 MYR 19.66

-40.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.67 MYR 2.75

26.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$10.62 MYR 43.31

407.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.27 MYR 5.20

-7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.46 MYR 1.89

23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.55 MYR 26.73

-63.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.90 MYR 3.65

61.11%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

-53.29%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

-17.43%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$45.25 MYR 185

37.75%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$8.79 MYR 35.87

39.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$25.10 MYR 102

-20.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$44.04 MYR 180

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.97 MYR 32.49

-52.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.81 MYR 19.61

39.50%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$172 MYR 701

363.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

113.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$57.5 MYR 235

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$36.37 MYR 148

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$86.5 MYR 353

5.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$68.0 MYR 278

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$361 MYR 1,472

28.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$312 MYR 1,275

-2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$722 MYR 2,946

26.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$471 MYR 1,923

17.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,073 MYR 8,456

-7.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,145 MYR 4,669

25.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿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 13, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8% 2.6% $7.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5% 6.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1% 2.1% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6% 16.3% $15

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4% 21.2% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8% 72.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8% 4.5% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $361 in Kuala Terengganu. 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $254 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

375,424

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kuala Terengganu 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kuala Terengganu

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 Kuala Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Kuala Terengganu, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Terengganu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $172 in Kuala Terengganu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Terengganu, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kuala Terengganu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kuala Terengganu costs $924 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kuala Terengganu. 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.