Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sidoarjo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidoarjo: $624 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Sidoarjo
Learn more

Sidoarjo Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Sidoarjo

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $624 in Sidoarjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Sidoarjo $624

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $974 in Sidoarjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Sidoarjo $974

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,325 in Sidoarjo, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Sidoarjo $1,325

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sidoarjo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chiang Mai and Sidoarjo are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sidoarjo 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

31.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$11.21 Rp 202.9K

66.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.14 Rp 56.8K

78.34%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$0.52 Rp 9,480

219.23%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.46 Rp 8,277

41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.26 Rp 4,657

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$4.17 Rp 75.5K

-11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

69.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

41.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

59.77%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

94.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.56 Rp 136.8K

118.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

42.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$5.40 Rp 97.8K

67.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

169.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$0.53 Rp 9,537

96.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

144.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

178.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

65.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$1.00 Rp 18.2K

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.29 Rp 5,295

162.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.39 Rp 7,057

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$1.91 Rp 34.6K

115.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$25.22 Rp 456.5K

-28.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$2.86 Rp 51.8K

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.25 Rp 4,554

272.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$11.65 Rp 210.9K

353.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$0.43 Rp 7,699

174.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.41 Rp 7,364

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

86.08%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$24.4K Rp 441.0M

-13.75%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$32.2K Rp 583.4M

-17.73%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$86.2 Rp 1.6M

-27.39%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$4.46 Rp 80.8K

160.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$10.85 Rp 196.4K

87.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$18.27 Rp 330.7K

107.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$8.39 Rp 151.9K

-55.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.60 Rp 47.1K

150.38%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$91.1 Rp 1.6M

698.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$9,267 Rp 167.8M

78.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$69.6 Rp 1.3M

-23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$38.95 Rp 705.2K

-36.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$81.2 Rp 1.5M

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

-0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$228 Rp 4.1M

111.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$148 Rp 2.7M

109.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$558 Rp 10.1M

89.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$374 Rp 6.8M

76.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,166 Rp 21.1M

107.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$779 Rp 14.1M

106.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sidoarjo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Sidoarjo

$148 23.7% 52.2% $162

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Sidoarjo

$166 26.7% 29.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Sidoarjo

$118 18.9% 8.9% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sidoarjo

$101 16.3% 7.4% $7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Sidoarjo

$51 8.2% 33.2% $25

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sidoarjo

$15 2.4% 74.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Sidoarjo

$23 3.8% 53.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $228 in Sidoarjo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $11 in Sidoarjo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $166 – making Sidoarjo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Sidoarjo

🕒 Local time

23:50 11:50 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

201,115

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,331 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sidoarjo 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sidoarjo

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 Sidoarjo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sidoarjo, 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 $935 in Sidoarjo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidoarjo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $228 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $91 in Sidoarjo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

For expats, Sidoarjo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.