Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Skudai

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $430 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
Learn more

Skudai Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $900 in Skudai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Skudai $900

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,370 in Skudai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Skudai $1,370

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,840 in Skudai, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Skudai $1,840

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$3.63 MYR 14.71

-38.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$18.25 MYR 74.0

4.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.90 MYR 19.88

13.27%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.87 MYR 11.63

-41.81%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.83 MYR 3.37

-22.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.45 MYR 1.81

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$3.33 MYR 13.50

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$5.62 MYR 22.78

-34.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.74 MYR 7.05

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.48

$1.02 MYR 4.15

41.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.04

$1.48 MYR 6.01

-10.14%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.66 MYR 6.72

37.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.64 MYR 39.10

70.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.20 MYR 12.97

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$9.61 MYR 38.95

-3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.42 MYR 13.86

-31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.80

$1.70 MYR 6.88

-42.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.61 MYR 10.59

-38.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.64 MYR 6.63

-8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.12

$1.41 MYR 5.70

-9.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.19

$1.73 MYR 7.02

-36.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.37 MYR 5.55

-48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.28 MYR 17.35

-3.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$13.83 MYR 56.1

26.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.74 MYR 11.09

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$2.99 MYR 12.12

-7.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.31

$0.83 MYR 3.37

4.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$10.95 MYR 44.40

393.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.06

$1.01 MYR 4.09

14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.36 MYR 1.45

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$9.03 MYR 36.61

-73.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.90

$0.86 MYR 3.48

68.60%

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

$21.1K ฿710.7K

$44.3K MYR 179.5K

-52.43%

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

$26.9K ฿909.3K

$36.0K MYR 146.0K

-25.18%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$48.79 MYR 198

27.42%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$8.16 MYR 33.10

49.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$26.88 MYR 109

-25.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$36.95 MYR 150

0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$7.55 MYR 30.60

-50.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$4.93 MYR 20.00

31.64%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$235 MYR 954

212.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.3K

$4,393 MYR 17.8K

236.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$50.5 MYR 205

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$16.62 MYR 67.4

48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$77.2 MYR 313

18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,428

$85.4 MYR 346

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$357 MYR 1,449

34.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$311 MYR 1,260

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$650 MYR 2,636

54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$565 MYR 2,291

12.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,956 MYR 7,929

20.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$1,161 MYR 4,706

36.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Skudai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Skudai

$311 34.5% 0.6% $1.8

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Skudai

$226 25.2% 3.4% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Skudai

$103 11.5% 4.8% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Skudai

$84 9.3% 11.3% $11

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Skudai

$111 12.4% 43.3% $34

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Skudai

$17 1.9% 72.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Skudai

$47 5.2% 6.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $357 in Skudai. 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 $18 in Skudai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $226 – making Skudai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Skudai

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

159,733

💱 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 Skudai 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Skudai

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Skudai, 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 $1,349 in Skudai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skudai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $357 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $235 in Skudai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $900 in Skudai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Skudai – 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.

For expats, Skudai is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 4% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.