Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Rawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $735 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chiang Mai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
Learn more

Rawang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$735

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $735 in Rawang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Rawang $735

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,173 in Rawang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Rawang $1,173

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,611 in Rawang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Rawang $1,611

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Rawang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Rawang 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$3.72 MYR 15.15

-39.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$19.66 MYR 80.1

-3.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$4.97 MYR 20.25

11.67%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$3.00 MYR 12.22

-44.33%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.82 MYR 3.35

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.40 MYR 1.61

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.23 MYR 17.23

-44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.42 MYR 18.01

-17.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.79 MYR 7.30

8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$1.04 MYR 4.23

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.14 MYR 8.72

6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$14.18 MYR 57.8

16.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.43 MYR 18.04

-37.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.17 MYR 41.42

-8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$2.92 MYR 11.88

-19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-46.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.64 MYR 10.77

-39.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.43 MYR 5.82

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.22 MYR 4.98

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.31 MYR 5.34

-16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$1.12 MYR 4.58

-36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.49 MYR 18.31

-7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$19.06 MYR 77.7

-8.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.85 MYR 11.62

-43.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.94 MYR 20.13

-43.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.77 MYR 3.12

12.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$12.26 MYR 49.97

341.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.37 MYR 1.52

43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$6.83 MYR 27.82

-64.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.83 MYR 3.37

74.70%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$43.5K MYR 177.1K

-51.54%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$35.0K MYR 142.7K

-23.05%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$36.97 MYR 151

68.16%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.75 MYR 39.71

24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$28.46 MYR 116

-29.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$37.63 MYR 153

-0.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.70 MYR 27.31

-43.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.87 MYR 19.85

33.26%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$401 MYR 1,634

83.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

34.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$60.1 MYR 245

-11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$34.90 MYR 142

-29.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$82.4 MYR 336

10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$71.1 MYR 290

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$143 MYR 581

238.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$104 MYR 425

195.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$576 MYR 2,347

74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$234 MYR 955

170.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,963 MYR 7,998

20.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$1,197 MYR 4,877

32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,012 MYR 4,122

-41.71%

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 Rawang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Rawang

$104 14.2% 66.2% $204

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Rawang

$262 35.6% 11.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Rawang

$112 15.2% 2.9% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Rawang

$75 10.2% 20.4% $19

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Rawang

$115 15.7% 48.9% $38

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 69.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Rawang

$47 6.4% 5.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $143 in Rawang. 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 72% higher in Rawang, 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 $20 in Rawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $262 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

50,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Rawang 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Rawang

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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Rawang, 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 $1,103 in Rawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $143 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $401 in Rawang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Families tend to lean toward Rawang – 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.