Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
Learn more

Semarang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $593 in Semarang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Semarang $593

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $938 in Semarang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Semarang $938

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,282 in Semarang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Semarang $1,282

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Semarang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Semarang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.7

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

67.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿642

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

80.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

82.57%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.6

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

30.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.56

$0.43 Rp 7,808

48.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.32

$0.16 Rp 2,847

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

12.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.51

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.07

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

68.35%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

93.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

326.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

23.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

19.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.82

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

2.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

-41.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

-23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.38

$0.40 Rp 7,359

22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

121.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿592

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

-30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

42.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.33

$0.21 Rp 3,816

314.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

288.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

$0.50 Rp 9,128

132.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

$0.29 Rp 5,331

82.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

-10.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

88.31%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

-14.18%

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

-16.37%

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

$62.2 ฿2,100

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-27.82%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

355.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿680

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

83.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

-16.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

188.44%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

1392.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

611.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

54.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

-15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,089

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

62.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

88.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$226 Rp 4.1M

113.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$136 Rp 2.5M

126.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$477 Rp 8.7M

110.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$380 Rp 6.9M

66.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

93.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.7K

$833 Rp 15.1M

90.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$186 Rp 3.4M

217.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.82

-36.85%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Semarang

$136 23% 55.9% $173

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Semarang

$184 31% 21.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Semarang

$71 12% 34.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 14.1% $13

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 32.7% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 72.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 50.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $226 in Semarang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Semarang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $184 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Semarang 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 58% more than Semarang, 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 $890 in Semarang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $49 in Semarang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Semarang – 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 Semarang. 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.