Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and South Tangerang

For one person, living is cheaper in South Tangerang: $651 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in South Tangerang
Learn more

South Tangerang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

South Tangerang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in South Tangerang

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $651 in South Tangerang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
South Tangerang $651

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,001 in South Tangerang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
South Tangerang $1,001

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,351 in South Tangerang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
South Tangerang $1,351

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than South Tangerang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and South Tangerang are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, South Tangerang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.67 Rp 30.2K

27.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$14.73 Rp 266.7K

26.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$3.39 Rp 61.3K

65.19%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

7.10%

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

$0.65 ฿21.69

$0.42 Rp 7,678

54.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$0.24 Rp 4,360

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$2.48 Rp 44.8K

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$3.12 Rp 56.4K

17.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

72.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$1.01 Rp 18.4K

39.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

65.48%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$1.75 Rp 31.6K

35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$7.17 Rp 129.8K

130.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$3.12 Rp 56.5K

-14.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$8.02 Rp 145.1K

12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$2.74 Rp 49.6K

-12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$1.20 Rp 21.7K

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

-14.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

27.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$1.40 Rp 25.3K

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

-51.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$0.48 Rp 8,650

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$2.69 Rp 48.7K

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$20.23 Rp 366.3K

-11.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.96 Rp 35.4K

-17.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$3.15 Rp 57.0K

-10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$0.21 Rp 3,846

342.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$16.58 Rp 300.2K

219.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$0.49 Rp 8,797

140.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$0.35 Rp 6,260

-51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$2.33 Rp 42.1K

-22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$0.85 Rp 15.5K

72.94%

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

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$22.1K Rp 400.6M

-5.05%

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

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$32.2K Rp 582.1M

-17.53%

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

$62.6 ฿2,098

$51.7 Rp 935.4K

21.08%

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

$11.60 ฿389

$5.92 Rp 107.2K

95.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$19.10 Rp 345.7K

6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$25.36 Rp 459.0K

49.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$9.09 Rp 164.6K

-59.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$2.70 Rp 48.8K

141.11%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

$114 Rp 2.1M

536.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$10.6K Rp 191.4M

56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$37.96 Rp 687.2K

41.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$28.31 Rp 512.4K

-12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

24.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$70.7 Rp 1.3M

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$209 Rp 3.8M

130.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$164 Rp 3.0M

88.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$367 Rp 6.7M

188.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$309 Rp 5.6M

113.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$1,157 Rp 20.9M

108.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$955 Rp 17.3M

68.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$446 Rp 8.1M

33.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for South Tangerang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

South Tangerang

$164 25.2% 47% $146

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

South Tangerang

$202 31.1% 14.4% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

South Tangerang

$94 14.5% 13.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

South Tangerang

$77 11.8% 18.8% $18

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

South Tangerang

$63 9.7% 17.3% $13

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

South Tangerang

$20 3% 66.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

South Tangerang

$31 4.7% 39.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $209 in South Tangerang. 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 33% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $15 in South Tangerang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $202 – making South Tangerang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 South Tangerang

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

1,290,322

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,231 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai South Tangerang 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
South Tangerang

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 South Tangerang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 44% more than South Tangerang, 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 $977 in South Tangerang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in South Tangerang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $114 in South Tangerang. 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.

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

If budget matters most, go with South Tangerang. 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.