Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Palembang

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $612 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Palembang
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Palembang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $612 in Palembang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Palembang $612

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $961 in Palembang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Palembang $961

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,310 in Palembang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Palembang $1,310

Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than Palembang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Palembang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Palembang 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.9

$1.07 Rp 19.5K

99.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$15.64 Rp 284.1K

19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

100.00%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

33.87%

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

$0.65 ฿21.80

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.28

$0.24 Rp 4,364

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.27 Rp 59.4K

12.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.9

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

90.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.45

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.90

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

71.60%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.8

$1.21 Rp 22.0K

95.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$7.22 Rp 131.0K

128.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.0

$2.88 Rp 52.3K

-7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$7.33 Rp 133.1K

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.8

$2.15 Rp 39.1K

11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.09

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.58 Rp 28.7K

5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

31.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.71

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

-1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.62

$1.91 Rp 34.6K

-42.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.67

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

-3.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.33

$0.40 Rp 7,227

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

88.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿604

$20.64 Rp 374.9K

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.7

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.1

$2.99 Rp 54.3K

-5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.49

$0.40 Rp 7,248

132.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,782

$11.46 Rp 208.2K

361.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.65

$0.53 Rp 9,692

122.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.32 Rp 5,762

-46.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$2.81 Rp 51.1K

-35.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.63

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

70.93%

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

$21.0K ฿708.1K

$22.8K Rp 413.3M

-7.68%

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

$26.5K ฿893.6K

$32.4K Rp 587.9M

-18.09%

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

$62.6 ฿2,108

$63.4 Rp 1.2M

-1.37%

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

$11.60 ฿391

$4.33 Rp 78.6K

167.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿684

$18.77 Rp 340.9K

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,277

$18.37 Rp 333.6K

106.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$8.15 Rp 148.0K

-54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿219

$2.83 Rp 51.4K

130.04%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

670.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿558.5K

$8,086 Rp 146.9M

104.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,804

$43.62 Rp 792.1K

22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$28.51 Rp 517.7K

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,046

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,425

$69.2 Rp 1.3M

4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$223 Rp 4.1M

115.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$148 Rp 2.7M

109.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$560 Rp 10.2M

88.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$364 Rp 6.6M

80.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$1,145 Rp 20.8M

111.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.2K

$778 Rp 14.1M

106.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.0K

$307 Rp 5.6M

93.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Palembang: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Palembang

$148 24.2% 52.3% $162

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Palembang

$190 31.1% 19.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Palembang

$97 15.9% 10% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Palembang

$87 14.1% 8.4% $7.9

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Palembang

$51 8.3% 33.3% $26

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Palembang

$15 2.5% 74.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Palembang

$24 3.9% 52.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $225 in Palembang. 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 99% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $16 in Palembang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $190 – making Palembang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Palembang

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,708,413

💱 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 = 4.92 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 = 37.73 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 = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Palembang 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Palembang

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 Palembang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 53% more than Palembang, 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 $919 in Palembang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palembang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $225 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $100 in Palembang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Palembang – 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 Palembang. 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.