Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sentul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sentul: $878 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $720 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Sentul
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Sentul Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Sentul

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $938 per month in Chiang Mai vs $878 in Sentul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $938
Sentul $878

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,334 in Sentul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Sentul $1,334

A family of three spends $1,914 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,790 in Sentul, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Sentul $1,790

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Sentul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sentul are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 30% lower, Sentul 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$3.64 MYR 14.84

-37.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$22.09 MYR 90.1

-13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$5.03 MYR 20.53

11.13%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-42.47%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-22.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.51 MYR 2.10

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.28 MYR 13.38

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$5.87 MYR 23.93

-33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$1.70 MYR 6.92

20.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$1.03 MYR 4.21

35.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.42 MYR 5.80

-9.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.74 MYR 7.11

29.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$9.66 MYR 39.39

75.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$3.17 MYR 12.94

-13.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$9.45 MYR 38.56

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$3.25 MYR 13.26

-26.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.68 MYR 6.87

-39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$2.65 MYR 10.81

-39.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.60 MYR 6.53

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$1.46 MYR 5.97

-12.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$1.64 MYR 6.70

-32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$1.32 MYR 5.38

-45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.51 MYR 2.08

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$4.16 MYR 16.99

4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$13.89 MYR 56.7

27.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$2.65 MYR 10.81

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$3.11 MYR 12.68

-8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.81 MYR 3.31

4.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$12.06 MYR 49.19

346.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.96 MYR 3.91

21.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.38 MYR 1.57

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$8.97 MYR 36.60

-73.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.87 MYR 3.54

66.67%

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

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$41.2K MYR 168.2K

-50.33%

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

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

-18.51%

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

$62.3 ฿2,083

$49.70 MYR 203

25.41%

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

$12.27 ฿410

$8.10 MYR 33.04

51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$27.39 MYR 112

-27.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$41.09 MYR 168

-7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

$7.45 MYR 30.40

-49.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$5.04 MYR 20.57

33.13%

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

$797 ฿26.6K

$161 MYR 658

394.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$4,446 MYR 18.1K

233.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$50.5 MYR 206

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$16.38 MYR 66.8

52.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$77.1 MYR 315

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$85.6 MYR 349

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$348 MYR 1,419

33.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$282 MYR 1,150

8.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$707 MYR 2,883

29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$484 MYR 1,976

14.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,147 MYR 8,759

-10.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$1,058 MYR 4,315

35.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$890 MYR 3,631

-33.13%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Sentul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Sentul

$282 32.1% 7.4% $23

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Sentul

$224 25.6% 5.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Sentul

$103 11.8% 5.7% $6.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Sentul

$85 9.7% 9.9% $9.4

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Sentul

$114 12.9% 43.8% $35

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Sentul

$18 2.1% 70.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Sentul

$51 5.8% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chiang Mai versus $348 in Sentul. 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 50% higher in Sentul, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai versus $22.00 in Sentul. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Chiang Mai vs $224 in Sentul – so Sentul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Sentul

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sentul 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sentul

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 Sentul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 7% more than Sentul, 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 $1,317 in Sentul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Chiang Mai and $161 in Sentul. 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 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 Sentul, where all-in costs run around $878, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Sentul 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. Sentul costs $878 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 Sentul. 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.