Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tanjung Pandan

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pandan
Learn more

Tanjung Pandan Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Tanjung Pandan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Tanjung Pandan

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

A single person spends $936 per month in Chiang Mai vs $617 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $936
Tanjung Pandan $617

A couple spends around $1,457 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,000 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,457
Tanjung Pandan $1,000

A family of three spends $1,979 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,383 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,979
Tanjung Pandan $1,383

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Tanjung Pandan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Tanjung Pandan are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Tanjung Pandan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.24 ฿75.6

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

40.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.00 ฿641

$15.06 Rp 270.8K

26.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ฿188

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

54.60%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ฿56.5

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

11.33%

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

$0.64 ฿21.55

$0.42 Rp 7,616

52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ฿10.31

$0.22 Rp 3,907

40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.6

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿124

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ฿65.8

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

83.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿48.49

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿45.05

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

41.49%

Eggs

$2.28 ฿77.1

$1.25 Rp 22.4K

82.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿555

$6.37 Rp 114.5K

158.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 ฿93.9

$3.26 Rp 58.6K

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

$8.49 Rp 152.7K

9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.4

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

21.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.81

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

-14.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.76 Rp 31.6K

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.14

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

18.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.21

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.83

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.37

$0.40 Rp 7,230

22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 ฿140

$2.51 Rp 45.2K

64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 ฿591

$23.14 Rp 416.0K

-24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

$1.82 Rp 32.7K

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿94.0

$3.38 Rp 60.8K

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.32

$0.25 Rp 4,515

248.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,826

$10.41 Rp 187.1K

419.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.07

$0.47 Rp 8,446

146.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.81

$0.36 Rp 6,441

47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

$2.47 Rp 44.4K

-2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.91

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

64.77%

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

$21.1K ฿710.9K

$20.2K Rp 363.0M

4.31%

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

$26.9K ฿909.5K

$30.6K Rp 550.5M

-12.01%

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

$62.2 ฿2,099

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

2.73%

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

$12.17 ฿411

$4.22 Rp 75.8K

188.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 ฿679

$20.00 Rp 359.5K

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ฿1,260

$19.60 Rp 352.4K

90.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

$8.42 Rp 151.4K

-55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ฿219

$3.08 Rp 55.3K

110.71%

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

$736 ฿24.9K

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

734.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.4K

$7,394 Rp 132.9M

99.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 ฿1,802

$40.55 Rp 729.0K

31.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.64 ฿832

$27.32 Rp 491.2K

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 ฿3,088

$81.0 Rp 1.5M

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.9 ฿2,429

$60.3 Rp 1.1M

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.3K

$204 Rp 3.7M

136.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ฿10.4K

$141 Rp 2.5M

119.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ฿34.0K

$533 Rp 9.6M

88.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ฿21.4K

$379 Rp 6.8M

67.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ฿79.8K

$1,263 Rp 22.7M

87.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,589 ฿53.6K

$883 Rp 15.9M

80.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$309 33%

Tanjung Pandan

$141 22.9% 54.3% $168

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1%

Tanjung Pandan

$197 31.9% 15.9% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6%

Tanjung Pandan

$94 15.3% 13.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tanjung Pandan

$85 13.7% 10.3% $9.7

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3%

Tanjung Pandan

$61 9.9% 21.4% $17

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6%

Tanjung Pandan

$14 2.2% 77.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4%

Tanjung Pandan

$26 4.2% 48.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Chiang Mai versus $204 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 $15 in Tanjung Pandan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $197 – making Tanjung Pandan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

103,062

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 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 October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.76 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 17,978 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,094 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tanjung Pandan 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tanjung Pandan

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 Tanjung Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Tanjung Pandan, 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 $926 in Tanjung Pandan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Pandan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $736 per month in Chiang Mai and $88 in Tanjung Pandan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $936 in Chiang Mai and $617 in Tanjung Pandan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Tanjung Pandan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 52% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.