Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Setia Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Setia Alam: $904 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. The total is higher in Chiang Mai despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Setia Alam

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $904 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Setia Alam $904

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,353 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Setia Alam $1,353

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,801 in Setia Alam, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Setia Alam $1,801

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Setia Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Setia Alam are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Setia Alam 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$4.75 MYR 19.28

-52.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$24.61 MYR 99.8

-22.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.98 MYR 20.18

11.45%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.79 MYR 11.32

-40.14%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.77 MYR 3.10

-16.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-46.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$6.03 MYR 24.46

-39.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.48 MYR 6.02

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.72 MYR 2.91

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$0.59 MYR 2.40

125.42%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.15 MYR 4.67

98.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.91 MYR 56.4

18.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$2.51 MYR 10.18

10.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$2.51 MYR 10.18

270.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.19 MYR 4.83

97.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.85 MYR 7.51

-47.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.24 MYR 5.04

29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.21 MYR 4.89

23.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$0.69 MYR 2.81

85.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$0.70 MYR 2.83

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$0.70 MYR 2.85

1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.72 MYR 2.91

-31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.18 MYR 16.93

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.78 MYR 80.2

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.49 MYR 14.15

-53.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.99 MYR 20.23

-44.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.75 MYR 3.03

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$12.39 MYR 50.2

336.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.21 MYR 4.89

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$1.21 MYR 4.90

-56.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$4.77 MYR 19.32

-49.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.49 MYR 1.98

195.92%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$39.5K MYR 159.9K

-46.62%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$33.4K MYR 135.2K

-19.23%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$61.0 MYR 247

1.92%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.67 MYR 35.14

40.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$25.85 MYR 105

-22.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$51.1 MYR 207

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.74 MYR 27.33

-44.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$5.00 MYR 20.26

29.80%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$235 MYR 951

213.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$7,890 MYR 32.0K

87.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$72.5 MYR 294

-26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$26.70 MYR 108

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$53.5 MYR 217

71.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$36.15 MYR 147

99.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$522 MYR 2,116

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$313 MYR 1,269

-1.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$843 MYR 3,418

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$544 MYR 2,207

16.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,033 MYR 8,242

16.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,188 MYR 4,816

33.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$1,152 MYR 4,670

-48.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.25%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Setia Alam

$313 34.7% 1.4% $4.2

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Setia Alam

$201 22.2% 14.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Setia Alam

$85 9.4% 21.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Setia Alam

$96 10.6% 1.1% $1.1

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Setia Alam

$125 13.9% 61.6% $48

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 63.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Setia Alam

$61 6.8% 21.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $522 in Setia Alam. 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 95% higher in Setia Alam, 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 $25 in Setia Alam. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $201 in Setia Alam – so Setia Alam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

150,000

💱 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 Setia Alam 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Setia Alam

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Setia Alam, 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 $1,355 in Setia Alam. 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 $522 in Setia Alam. 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 $235 in Setia Alam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $904 in Setia Alam. 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 $904 in Setia Alam to $936 in Chiang Mai. 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.