Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Putrajaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $813 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $813 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Putrajaya $813

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,227 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Putrajaya $1,227

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,640 in Putrajaya, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Putrajaya $1,640

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Putrajaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Putrajaya are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Putrajaya 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.58 MYR 14.51

-37.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$18.03 MYR 73.1

5.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.48 MYR 18.16

23.88%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.89 MYR 11.70

-42.21%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.82 MYR 3.34

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.69 MYR 14.95

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.73 MYR 19.18

-22.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.75 MYR 7.08

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.09 MYR 4.44

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.43 MYR 5.81

-6.99%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.71 MYR 6.94

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$7.72 MYR 31.30

113.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.70 MYR 19.06

-40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.58 MYR 38.83

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.46 MYR 9.99

-4.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.49 MYR 6.03

-34.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.22 MYR 8.99

-27.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.63 MYR 6.61

-7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.39 MYR 5.63

-7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.43 MYR 5.80

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.37 MYR 5.55

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.52 MYR 2.10

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.30 MYR 17.42

-3.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$13.35 MYR 54.1

31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.98 MYR 12.09

-45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.01 MYR 12.19

-7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.69 MYR 2.82

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.13 MYR 49.16

345.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$0.94 MYR 3.81

23.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.47 MYR 1.93

12.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.75 MYR 39.53

-75.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.69 MYR 2.80

110.14%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$42.8K MYR 173.4K

-50.77%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$34.4K MYR 139.3K

-21.59%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$52.5 MYR 213

18.44%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$11.02 MYR 44.69

10.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$22.68 MYR 91.9

-11.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$35.81 MYR 145

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$9.28 MYR 37.62

-59.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.03 MYR 20.39

29.03%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$243 MYR 983

203.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$4,555 MYR 18.5K

224.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$54.4 MYR 220

-1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.78 MYR 68.0

46.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$80.2 MYR 325

14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$87.0 MYR 353

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$345 MYR 1,397

39.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$225 MYR 913

37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$633 MYR 2,568

58.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$370 MYR 1,500

71.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,682 MYR 10.9K

-11.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,783 MYR 7,230

-10.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,029 MYR 4,173

-42.71%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Putrajaya

$225 27.7% 27.1% $84

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Putrajaya

$221 27.2% 5.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Putrajaya

$107 13.2% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Putrajaya

$86 10.6% 8.8% $8.3

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Putrajaya

$109 13.5% 41.1% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Putrajaya

$18 2.2% 70.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Putrajaya

$46 5.6% 8.8% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $345 in Putrajaya. 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 75% higher in Putrajaya, 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 $18 in Putrajaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $221 – making Putrajaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

109,202

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.52 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Putrajaya 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Putrajaya

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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Putrajaya, 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 $1,220 in Putrajaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Putrajaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $243 in Putrajaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $813 in Putrajaya. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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

For expats, Putrajaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.