Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sungai Petani

For one person, living is cheaper in Sungai Petani: $804 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
Learn more

Sungai Petani Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sungai Petani

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $804 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Sungai Petani $804

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,203 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Sungai Petani $1,203

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,602 in Sungai Petani, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Sungai Petani $1,602

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Sungai Petani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sungai Petani are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sungai Petani 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.51 MYR 10.19

-10.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$17.12 MYR 69.5

10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿187

$4.49 MYR 18.23

23.61%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$2.47 MYR 10.03

-32.39%

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

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.39 MYR 1.56

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.5

$3.53 MYR 14.30

-33.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$4.44 MYR 18.03

-17.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.7

$1.79 MYR 7.28

8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.46

$1.10 MYR 4.47

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.03

$1.69 MYR 6.85

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$2.26 MYR 9.18

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$9.98 MYR 40.49

64.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$4.52 MYR 18.34

-38.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.89 MYR 36.06

4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$3.02 MYR 12.24

-22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.79

$1.62 MYR 6.56

-40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.71 MYR 11.01

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.40 MYR 5.68

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.11

$1.09 MYR 4.44

17.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.18

$1.07 MYR 4.35

2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.82

$1.13 MYR 4.60

-37.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.36

$0.59 MYR 2.38

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$4.31 MYR 17.48

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$19.25 MYR 78.1

-8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$2.86 MYR 11.61

-43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$5.15 MYR 20.90

-46.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.30

$0.70 MYR 2.84

24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

$12.26 MYR 49.74

341.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.04

$1.75 MYR 7.08

-33.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.80

$0.38 MYR 1.53

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$7.49 MYR 30.38

-67.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.88

$0.48 MYR 1.97

202.08%

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

$21.1K ฿710.5K

$44.6K MYR 181.1K

-52.81%

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

$26.9K ฿909.0K

$35.0K MYR 141.9K

-22.98%

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

$62.2 ฿2,098

$36.69 MYR 149

69.45%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$9.93 MYR 40.28

22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$19.96 MYR 81.0

0.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,259

$24.41 MYR 99.0

52.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$14.42 MYR 58.5

-73.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$2.86 MYR 11.62

126.92%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

$397 MYR 1,609

85.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

$10.6K MYR 42.8K

39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,801

$59.4 MYR 241

-10.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿831

$34.60 MYR 140

-28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,087

$74.4 MYR 302

22.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,427

$69.8 MYR 283

3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$180 MYR 731

167.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$241 MYR 976

28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿33.9K

$480 MYR 1,947

109.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$365 MYR 1,481

73.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.7K

$1,202 MYR 4,877

96.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$480 MYR 1,948

230.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

$490 MYR 1,986

20.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.04

37.87%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Sungai Petani

$241 29.9% 22.1% $68

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Sungai Petani

$247 30.7% 5.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3% 1.3% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sungai Petani

$67 8.3% 29.5% $28

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7% 21.6% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Sungai Petani

$19 2.3% 69.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8% 40.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $180 in Sungai Petani. 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 20% 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 $17 in Sungai Petani. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Chiang Mai vs $247 in Sungai Petani – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h ahead of Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

545,053

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sungai Petani 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Sungai Petani, 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 $1,206 in Sungai Petani. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sungai Petani, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $180 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $397 in Sungai Petani. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $804 in Sungai Petani, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sungai Petani – 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 Sungai Petani. 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.