Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,145 in Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
Learn more

Selangor Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,145 in Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Selangor $1,145

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,656 in Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Selangor $1,656

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,168 in Selangor, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Selangor $2,168

Chiang Mai is about 18% cheaper than Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Selangor are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Selangor 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.23 MYR 17.14

-47.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.90 MYR 80.7

-4.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$3.87 MYR 15.67

43.41%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.20 MYR 8.91

-24.09%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.88 MYR 3.58

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.47 MYR 1.91

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.51 MYR 18.29

-47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.12 MYR 20.75

-28.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.83 MYR 7.43

6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.05 MYR 4.25

37.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.48 MYR 6.02

-10.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.88 MYR 7.64

21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$23.03 MYR 93.4

-28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.96 MYR 20.11

-43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$10.94 MYR 44.35

-14.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$4.13 MYR 16.73

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.77 MYR 7.16

-45.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$3.45 MYR 14.01

-53.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.68 MYR 10.86

-44.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.75 MYR 7.09

-26.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.07 MYR 4.34

2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.11 MYR 4.50

-36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.57 MYR 2.33

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.28 MYR 17.36

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$31.12 MYR 126

-43.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$4.60 MYR 18.64

-65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$5.64 MYR 22.86

-50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.76 MYR 3.09

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.37 MYR 50.2

337.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.19 MYR 4.84

-2.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.25 MYR 5.06

-57.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.37 MYR 17.70

-44.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.75 MYR 3.03

93.33%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$46.2K MYR 187.4K

-54.46%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$36.0K MYR 145.9K

-25.15%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$76.2 MYR 309

-18.40%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$10.68 MYR 43.31

13.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$30.89 MYR 125

-34.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$39.74 MYR 161

-6.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.00 MYR 28.39

-46.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.92 MYR 24.00

9.63%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$121 MYR 489

510.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,093 MYR 28.8K

108.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$116 MYR 469

-53.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$65.8 MYR 267

-62.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$78.7 MYR 319

16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$82.0 MYR 332

-12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$510 MYR 2,067

-5.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$346 MYR 1,402

-10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$894 MYR 3,625

12.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$485 MYR 1,966

30.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,787 MYR 7,245

32.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,015 MYR 4,113

56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,048 MYR 4,250

-43.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.96

40.66%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Selangor

$346 30.2% 11.9% $37

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Selangor

$343 29.9% 46.2% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Selangor

$154 13.5% 41.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Selangor

$118 10.3% 24.7% $23

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Selangor

$110 9.6% 41.8% $32

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Selangor

$23 2% 62.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Selangor

$52 4.5% 2.6% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $510 in Selangor. 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 78% higher in Selangor. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $20 in Selangor. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $343 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

281,717

💱 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 Selangor 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor costs about 22% more than Chiang Mai, 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 $1,717 in Selangor. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $482 in Chiang Mai and $510 in Selangor. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $121 in Selangor. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Selangor, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $1,145 in Selangor. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,145 in Selangor. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Selangor makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.