Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Labuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,020 in Labuan, rent and utilities included – about $980 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,020 in Labuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Labuan $1,020

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,487 in Labuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Labuan $1,487

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,953 in Labuan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Labuan $1,953

Chiang Mai is about 8% cheaper than Labuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chiang Mai and Labuan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Labuan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$5.52 MYR 22.53

-59.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-20.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$6.66 MYR 27.19

-16.07%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$3.93 MYR 16.05

-56.23%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$1.06 MYR 4.34

-39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.45 MYR 1.83

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.72 MYR 15.19

-36.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.53 MYR 18.48

-13.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.82 MYR 7.43

12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.04 MYR 4.26

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.49 MYR 6.07

-14.09%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$2.10 MYR 8.58

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$16.82 MYR 68.6

0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.42 MYR 18.03

-38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.50 MYR 38.76

-1.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.17 MYR 12.95

-24.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.83 MYR 7.46

-44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.39 MYR 9.75

-32.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.76 MYR 7.17

-13.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.39 MYR 5.68

-7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.03 MYR 4.20

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.18 MYR 4.81

-38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.54 MYR 2.20

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$5.04 MYR 20.57

-14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$16.29 MYR 66.5

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$3.21 MYR 13.11

-49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$4.39 MYR 17.90

-35.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.78 MYR 3.17

8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$10.66 MYR 43.48

405.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$1.34 MYR 5.47

-12.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.48 MYR 1.97

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$6.48 MYR 26.43

-63.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.88 MYR 3.58

64.77%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

-53.46%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-18.50%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$48.90 MYR 199

27.46%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$9.68 MYR 39.49

26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$27.69 MYR 113

-27.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.60 MYR 170

-8.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.68 MYR 31.32

-51.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$4.29 MYR 17.51

56.41%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$208 MYR 849

283.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

111.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$55.8 MYR 228

-4.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$30.07 MYR 123

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$87.0 MYR 355

5.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$81.8 MYR 334

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$433 MYR 1,768

7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$342 MYR 1,397

-11.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$641 MYR 2,614

42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$464 MYR 1,892

19.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,282 MYR 9,308

-16.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,136 MYR 4,636

26.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$374 MYR 1,525

59.20%

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 Labuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Labuan

$342 33.6% 12.4% $38

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Labuan

$264 25.9% 11% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Labuan

$115 11.2% 4.6% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Labuan

$86 8.5% 8.8% $8.3

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Labuan

$145 14.2% 83.7% $66

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Labuan

$18 1.7% 71.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Labuan

$50 4.9% 2.2% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $433 in Labuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 59% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $24.00 in Labuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $264 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Labuan

🕒 Local time

05:05 5:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

95,120

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Labuan 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Labuan

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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan costs about 9% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $1,530 in Labuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, 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 $208 in Labuan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Labuan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Labuan at $1,020. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Labuan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,020 in Labuan. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Labuan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.