Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Kuta, Lombok

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuta, Lombok: $701 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Kuta, Lombok
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Kuta, Lombok Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Kuta, Lombok

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Kuta, Lombok

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $701 in Kuta, Lombok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Kuta, Lombok $701

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,156 in Kuta, Lombok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Kuta, Lombok $1,156

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,610 in Kuta, Lombok, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Kuta, Lombok $1,610

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Kuta, Lombok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Kuta, Lombok are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Kuta, Lombok 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿623

$17.13 Rp 309.1K

8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿187

$2.85 Rp 51.5K

96.49%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

26.72%

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

$0.65 ฿21.63

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

-20.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.20

$0.35 Rp 6,247

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.7

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

77.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

67.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.4

$1.03 Rp 18.6K

96.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.08

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.54

$0.73 Rp 13.3K

90.41%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.2

$1.40 Rp 25.2K

69.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿552

$10.46 Rp 188.9K

57.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.3

$2.67 Rp 48.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$7.56 Rp 136.4K

19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.35 Rp 42.4K

2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.5

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

5.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.1

$1.27 Rp 23.0K

22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.39

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

-0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.34

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

-31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.47

$0.68 Rp 12.3K

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.19

$0.35 Rp 6,390

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

186.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿600

$14.51 Rp 261.8K

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.4

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

42.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.16 Rp 2,860

481.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,769

$5.68 Rp 102.5K

831.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.35

$0.31 Rp 5,605

280.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.73

$0.28 Rp 5,016

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$3.92 Rp 70.7K

-53.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.25

$0.54 Rp 9,797

172.22%

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

$21.0K ฿702.6K

$16.0K Rp 288.0M

31.68%

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

$26.5K ฿886.7K

$20.6K Rp 372.6M

28.46%

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

$62.6 ฿2,092

$56.7 Rp 1.0M

10.32%

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

$11.60 ฿388

$4.63 Rp 83.6K

150.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿679

$14.62 Rp 263.9K

38.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,267

$27.61 Rp 498.4K

37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$9.71 Rp 175.3K

-61.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

185.53%

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

$727 ฿24.3K

$311 Rp 5.6M

134.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿554.2K

$7,879 Rp 142.2M

110.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,790

$35.26 Rp 636.4K

51.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿829

$26.86 Rp 484.8K

-7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,023

$61.2 Rp 1.1M

47.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,407

$60.4 Rp 1.1M

19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$422 Rp 7.6M

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$263 Rp 4.7M

17.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.4K

$1,375 Rp 24.8M

-23.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.0K

$651 Rp 11.8M

1.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿80.8K

$945 Rp 17.1M

155.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.8K

$864 Rp 15.6M

86.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.78

-59.58%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kuta, Lombok: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Kuta, Lombok

$263 37.5% 15.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Kuta, Lombok

$187 26.6% 21.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Kuta, Lombok

$83 11.8% 23.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Kuta, Lombok

$76 10.8% 19.6% $19

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Kuta, Lombok

$53 7.5% 31% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Kuta, Lombok

$8 1.1% 86.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Kuta, Lombok

$32 4.6% 36.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $422 in Kuta, Lombok. 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 $17 in Kuta, Lombok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $187 – making Kuta, Lombok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Kuta, Lombok

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

2,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.68 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.96 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.37 THB (100 THB = 2.68 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,171 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Kuta, Lombok 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Kuta, Lombok

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 Kuta, Lombok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 33% more than Kuta, Lombok, 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 $1,051 in Kuta, Lombok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuta, Lombok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $422 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $311 in Kuta, Lombok. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kuta, Lombok, where all-in costs run around $701, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Kuta, Lombok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuta, Lombok – 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.

For expats, Kuta, Lombok is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.