Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $988 in Lumut, Perak, rent and utilities included – about $620 less a year. The total is higher in Lumut, Perak despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Lumut, Perak

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $988 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Lumut, Perak $988

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,498 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Lumut, Perak $1,498

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,008 in Lumut, Perak, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Lumut, Perak $2,008

Chiang Mai is about 5% cheaper than Lumut, Perak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Lumut, Perak are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Lumut, Perak 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.65 MYR 14.85

-38.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$12.00 MYR 48.89

58.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.91 MYR 20.03

13.03%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$2.95 MYR 12.01

-43.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.77 MYR 3.13

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.38 MYR 1.55

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.75 MYR 15.27

-37.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.23 MYR 25.36

-41.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$2.06 MYR 8.38

-5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.07 MYR 4.34

34.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.92 MYR 7.83

-30.73%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.41 MYR 9.81

-5.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$13.84 MYR 56.4

18.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.53 MYR 18.46

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.83 MYR 40.06

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$3.32 MYR 13.52

-29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.85 MYR 7.52

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.23 MYR 9.08

-28.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.57 MYR 6.38

-4.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.27 MYR 5.18

0.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.38 MYR 5.61

-20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.16 MYR 4.73

-38.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.28 MYR 17.45

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$19.87 MYR 81.0

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.47 MYR 14.12

-53.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.04 MYR 20.52

-44.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.73 MYR 2.96

19.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$12.54 MYR 51.1

331.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-5.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$1.26 MYR 5.12

-57.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.86 MYR 19.79

-50.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.87 MYR 3.55

66.67%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$43.7K MYR 178.2K

-51.85%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$34.7K MYR 141.5K

-22.41%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$62.5 MYR 255

-0.59%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.99 MYR 36.62

35.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$25.83 MYR 105

-22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$41.64 MYR 170

-10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.57 MYR 26.79

-42.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.81 MYR 19.62

34.93%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$242 MYR 987

203.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$13.3K MYR 54.3K

10.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$72.0 MYR 294

-25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$42.00 MYR 171

-41.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$85.3 MYR 347

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$96.4 MYR 393

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$415 MYR 1,692

16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$295 MYR 1,201

4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$722 MYR 2,942

39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$563 MYR 2,293

12.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,757 MYR 7,160

34.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,304 MYR 5,314

21.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$375 MYR 1,527

57.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.17

33.57%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Lumut, Perak

$295 29.9% 4.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Lumut, Perak

$273 27.7% 16.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Lumut, Perak

$133 13.5% 22.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Lumut, Perak

$97 9.9% 3.1% $2.9

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Lumut, Perak

$115 11.6% 48.3% $37

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Lumut, Perak

$23 2.3% 62.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Lumut, Perak

$51 5.2% 2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $415 in Lumut, Perak. 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 57% 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 in Chiang Mai versus $12 in Lumut, Perak. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $273 in Lumut, Perak – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

39,595

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Lumut, Perak 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Lumut, Perak

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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumut, Perak costs about 6% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,482 in Lumut, Perak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lumut, Perak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $415 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $242 in Lumut, Perak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Lumut, Perak, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $988 in Lumut, Perak. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $988 in Lumut, Perak. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.