Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sibu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $905 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $370 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $905 in Sibu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sibu $905

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,406 in Sibu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sibu $1,406

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,906 in Sibu, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sibu $1,906

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Sibu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.26 MYR 9.14

-0.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$19.22 MYR 77.9

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.23 MYR 17.14

31.21%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.30 MYR 9.31

-27.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.61 MYR 2.48

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.23 MYR 0.93

34.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.86 MYR 11.60

-17.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.46 MYR 18.08

-17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.76 MYR 7.14

10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$0.87 MYR 3.54

65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.33 MYR 5.37

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.18 MYR 8.82

4.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$13.35 MYR 54.1

23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.90 MYR 19.88

-43.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.92 MYR 40.23

-6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$2.86 MYR 11.60

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.81 MYR 7.35

-46.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.36 MYR 9.58

-32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.69 MYR 6.86

-11.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.38 MYR 5.59

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.33 MYR 5.40

-17.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.06 MYR 4.28

-33.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.48 MYR 18.18

-7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.27 MYR 78.1

-9.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$3.02 MYR 12.23

-46.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$4.61 MYR 18.71

-39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.79 MYR 3.21

10.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$11.49 MYR 46.59

370.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.04 MYR 4.24

11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.61 MYR 2.48

-13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$7.27 MYR 29.47

-66.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.87 MYR 3.51

66.67%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$45.5K MYR 184.6K

-53.74%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$36.2K MYR 146.6K

-25.47%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$48.91 MYR 198

27.11%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$7.37 MYR 29.86

65.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$26.21 MYR 106

-23.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$27.13 MYR 110

37.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$6.38 MYR 25.88

-40.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.72 MYR 15.10

74.46%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$243 MYR 984

203.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$6,876 MYR 27.9K

114.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$56.1 MYR 228

-4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$36.43 MYR 148

-32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$69.2 MYR 281

32.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$78.2 MYR 317

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$390 MYR 1,579

23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$318 MYR 1,288

-2.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$698 MYR 2,828

44.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$630 MYR 2,552

0.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$2,136 MYR 8,660

10.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,165 MYR 4,723

36.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$487 MYR 1,974

21.12%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Sibu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sibu

$318 35.1% 2.8% $8.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sibu

$258 28.6% 10.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sibu

$108 11.9% 0.6% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sibu

$82 9.1% 12.7% $12

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sibu

$85 9.4% 9.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sibu

$19 2.1% 69.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sibu

$35 3.8% 31.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $390 in Sibu. 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 21% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $19 in Sibu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $258 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Sibu

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

198,239

💱 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 Sibu 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sibu

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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 3% more than Sibu, 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 $1,357 in Sibu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sibu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $390 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Sibu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $936 in Chiang Mai and $905 in Sibu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Sibu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Sibu. 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.