Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Manado

For one person, living is cheaper in Manado: $562 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Manado
Learn more

Manado Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Manado

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $562 in Manado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Manado $562

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $888 in Manado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Manado $888

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,214 in Manado, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Manado $1,214

Chiang Mai costs about 66% more than Manado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Manado are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Manado 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.5

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

57.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿640

$16.22 Rp 294.5K

17.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

98.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.4

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-1.76%

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

$0.64 ฿21.51

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.29

$0.25 Rp 4,573

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

-29.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿123

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

36.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

43.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.41

$1.04 Rp 18.8K

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.97

$0.71 Rp 12.9K

87.32%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.0

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿554

$16.53 Rp 300.2K

-0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

3.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$6.38 Rp 116.0K

45.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.3

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.75

$1.44 Rp 26.2K

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.95 Rp 17.3K

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.06

$0.83 Rp 15.1K

54.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.14

$2.77 Rp 50.3K

-60.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.79

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

-21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.34

$0.43 Rp 7,781

13.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.36 Rp 42.9K

75.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿590

$20.63 Rp 374.6K

-15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.4

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.8

$2.93 Rp 53.2K

-5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.27

$0.31 Rp 5,635

180.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,823

$12.15 Rp 220.6K

345.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.00

$0.53 Rp 9,616

118.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.78

$0.31 Rp 5,703

70.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

-7.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.59 Rp 10.8K

145.76%

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

$21.1K ฿709.7K

$25.2K Rp 456.8M

-16.27%

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

$26.9K ฿907.9K

$31.3K Rp 569.3M

-14.06%

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

$62.2 ฿2,095

$53.0 Rp 962.0K

17.37%

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

$12.17 ฿410

$4.44 Rp 80.6K

174.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿678

$13.98 Rp 254.0K

43.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,257

$12.65 Rp 229.8K

194.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.42 Rp 152.9K

-55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

165.98%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$124 Rp 2.3M

492.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿497.6K

$4,574 Rp 83.1M

222.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,799

$54.9 Rp 996.8K

-2.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿830

$19.80 Rp 359.5K

24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,083

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,424

$61.3 Rp 1.1M

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$244 Rp 4.4M

97.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

279.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$299 Rp 5.4M

235.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.3K

$171 Rp 3.1M

271.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.6K

$1,138 Rp 20.7M

107.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$787 Rp 14.3M

102.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$212 Rp 3.9M

177.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manado: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Manado

$81 14.5% 73.7% $228

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Manado

$219 39% 6.5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Manado

$92 16.3% 15.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Manado

$71 12.7% 24.4% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Manado

$66 11.7% 15.3% $12

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Manado

$15 2.8% 74.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Manado

$18 3.1% 65.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $244 in Manado. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Manado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $219 – making Manado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Manado

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

13:27 1:27 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

423,257

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Manado 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Manado

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 Manado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 66% more than Manado, 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 $843 in Manado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $124 in Manado. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Manado – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Manado. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.