Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $906 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$906

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Chiang Mai vs $814 in Miri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $906
Miri $814

A couple spends around $1,385 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,247 in Miri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,385
Miri $1,247

A family of three spends $1,864 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,680 in Miri, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,864
Miri $1,680

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Miri are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 32% lower, Miri 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.4

$3.43 MYR 14.02

-37.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.40 ฿649

$12.16 MYR 49.65

59.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ฿183

$4.55 MYR 18.58

20.22%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ฿56.4

$2.30 MYR 9.40

-26.96%

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

$0.66 ฿22.10

$0.78 MYR 3.17

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ฿11.52

$0.30 MYR 1.24

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.0

$2.96 MYR 12.10

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

$3.82 MYR 15.59

-2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$1.40 MYR 5.72

47.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.78

$1.81 MYR 7.40

-19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 ฿45.09

$0.94 MYR 3.85

43.62%

Eggs

$2.27 ฿76.0

$3.50 MYR 14.27

-35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 ฿546

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.70 ฿90.3

$4.79 MYR 19.58

-43.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.20 ฿308

$15.10 MYR 61.6

-39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 ฿80.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.66

$1.96 MYR 8.01

-46.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 ฿48.37

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.59

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ฿23.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.99

$0.36 MYR 1.47

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ฿138

$4.35 MYR 17.77

-5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 ฿595

$19.28 MYR 78.7

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.7

$3.08 MYR 12.59

-47.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿96.0

$2.41 MYR 9.85

19.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 ฿28.76

$0.51 MYR 2.09

68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 ฿1,780

$14.41 MYR 58.8

268.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ฿40.81

$1.19 MYR 4.87

2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ฿18.81

$0.64 MYR 2.60

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 ฿77.5

$6.05 MYR 24.71

-61.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$0.65 MYR 2.64

130.77%

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

$20.9K ฿698.3K

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

-59.11%

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

$26.7K ฿895.0K

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

-18.13%

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

$61.3 ฿2,051

$49.79 MYR 203

23.04%

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

$12.50 ฿419

$9.53 MYR 38.91

31.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.36 ฿682

$33.24 MYR 136

-38.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 ฿1,270

$29.63 MYR 121

28.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿126

$6.17 MYR 25.21

-38.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 ฿221

$4.45 MYR 18.18

48.31%

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

$774 ฿25.9K

$102 MYR 416

659.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ฿483.2K

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

117.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 ฿1,835

$44.13 MYR 180

24.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.26 ฿846

$22.74 MYR 92.9

11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 ฿3,032

$56.2 MYR 230

61.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 ฿2,453

$42.80 MYR 175

71.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 ฿15.4K

$341 MYR 1,390

34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ฿9,835

$280 MYR 1,145

4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 ฿30.8K

$596 MYR 2,435

54.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$594 MYR 2,425

-7.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,917 ฿64.2K

$1,219 MYR 4,977

57.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 ฿48.4K

$671 MYR 2,741

115.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ฿19.8K

$692 MYR 2,826

-14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.12

35.19%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$294 31.8%

Miri

$280 35.2% 4.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$236 25.6%

Miri

$194 * 24.4% 17.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.9%

Miri

$75 9.4% 32% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2%

Miri

$93 11.6% 1.6% $1.6

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.4%

Miri

$96 12% 23.6% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Miri

$21 2.6% 65.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Miri

$39 4.8% 24.6% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $459 in Chiang Mai versus $341 in Miri. 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 17% higher in Miri, 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 $12.00 in Miri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $194 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

15:45 3:45 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

248,877

💱 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Miri 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 11% more than Miri, 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 $1,359 per month in Chiang Mai and $1,221 in Miri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $774 per month in Chiang Mai and $102 in Miri. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Miri, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Chiang Mai at $906. In Miri 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. Miri costs $814 versus $906 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 Miri. 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.