Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Salatiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Salatiga: $456 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Salatiga
Learn more

Salatiga Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Salatiga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $456 in Salatiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Salatiga $456

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $675 in Salatiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Salatiga $675

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $893 in Salatiga, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Salatiga $893

Chiang Mai costs about 106% more than Salatiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Salatiga are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Salatiga 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

159.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$8.95 Rp 161.1K

114.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

104.76%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

20.28%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.30 Rp 5,485

113.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.19 Rp 3,381

73.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$4.23 Rp 76.1K

-7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

69.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.33 Rp 24.0K

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

50.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.20 Rp 21.6K

87.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$7.70 Rp 138.6K

120.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.09 Rp 55.7K

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$7.64 Rp 137.6K

22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$2.01 Rp 36.2K

19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

-20.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

-12.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.31 Rp 23.6K

-2.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-41.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.35 Rp 6,213

105.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.36 Rp 6,413

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

118.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$24.70 Rp 444.6K

-28.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.67 Rp 30.0K

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.21 Rp 3,744

304.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.44 Rp 7,900

165.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.43 Rp 7,736

32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-13.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

116.42%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$24.6K Rp 443.5M

-16.90%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.2K Rp 579.2M

-17.60%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$87.8 Rp 1.6M

-28.97%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$4.59 Rp 82.7K

167.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$19.52 Rp 351.3K

2.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$11.25 Rp 202.4K

236.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$2.00 Rp 36.0K

235.50%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$283 Rp 5.1M

182.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$9,389 Rp 169.0M

57.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$22.60 Rp 406.8K

135.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$11.36 Rp 204.4K

120.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$44.96 Rp 809.2K

103.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$73.3 Rp 1.3M

0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$165 Rp 3.0M

181.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$148 Rp 2.7M

301.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Salatiga

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Salatiga

$205 44.9% 14% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Salatiga

$69 15% 37.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Salatiga

$112 24.5% 18.3% $17

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Salatiga

$52 11.4% 34% $27

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Salatiga

$3.4 * 0.8% 94.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Salatiga

$15 3.3% 70.3% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $165 in Salatiga. 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 301% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $9.00 in Salatiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $205 – making Salatiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Salatiga

🕒 Local time

21:27 9:27 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

190,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Salatiga 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Salatiga

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 Salatiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 106% more than Salatiga, 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 $1,408 per month in Chiang Mai and $684 in Salatiga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Chiang Mai and $9.00 in Salatiga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Salatiga, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Salatiga 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. Salatiga costs $456 versus $938 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 Salatiga. 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.