Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Tanjung Pinang

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pinang: $622 a month against $935 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 Pinang
Learn more

Tanjung Pinang Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Tanjung Pinang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $622 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Tanjung Pinang $622

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $984 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Tanjung Pinang $984

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,346 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Tanjung Pinang $1,346

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$3.30 Rp 59.8K

-35.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$14.72 Rp 267.0K

26.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.29 Rp 59.6K

70.21%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

10.67%

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

$0.65 ฿21.83

$0.46 Rp 8,337

41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.22 Rp 3,978

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.4

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$3.03 Rp 55.0K

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

81.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.51

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.96

$0.77 Rp 14.1K

80.52%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

63.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$6.23 Rp 113.0K

165.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$2.84 Rp 51.6K

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$6.87 Rp 124.6K

31.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.45 Rp 44.4K

-2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

-24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

16.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

12.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.76

$1.10 Rp 19.9K

12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.66

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-41.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.35

$0.42 Rp 7,606

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$2.59 Rp 47.0K

59.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$21.36 Rp 387.5K

-16.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

-1.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$2.88 Rp 52.2K

-2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.53

$0.27 Rp 4,843

244.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,785

$11.89 Rp 215.7K

344.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.70

$0.52 Rp 9,493

126.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.79

$0.32 Rp 5,778

-46.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$3.19 Rp 57.9K

-43.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

126.15%

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

$21.0K ฿708.9K

$22.1K Rp 400.1M

-4.73%

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

$26.5K ฿894.6K

$35.8K Rp 649.4M

-25.94%

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

$62.6 ฿2,111

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

-7.32%

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

$11.60 ฿392

$4.51 Rp 81.8K

157.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$18.62 Rp 337.7K

9.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$16.88 Rp 306.2K

124.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

$8.94 Rp 162.1K

-58.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

130.04%

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

$727 ฿24.5K

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

811.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.2K

$12.0K Rp 218.2M

37.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,807

$45.74 Rp 829.7K

17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿837

$29.73 Rp 539.4K

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,050

$64.2 Rp 1.2M

40.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$77.2 Rp 1.4M

-6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$236 Rp 4.3M

103.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$134 Rp 2.4M

130.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$607 Rp 11.0M

74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$319 Rp 5.8M

106.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.6K

$1,290 Rp 23.4M

87.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$710 Rp 12.9M

126.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$193 Rp 3.5M

207.69%

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 Tanjung Pinang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Tanjung Pinang

$134 21.6% 56.7% $176

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Tanjung Pinang

$189 30.5% 19.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Tanjung Pinang

$98 15.7% 9.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Tanjung Pinang

$91 14.6% 4.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Tanjung Pinang

$72 11.7% 5.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Tanjung Pinang

$15 2.4% 74.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Tanjung Pinang

$23 3.6% 55.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $236 in Tanjung Pinang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chiang Mai are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $15 in Tanjung Pinang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $189 – making Tanjung Pinang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pinang

🕒 Local time

21:25 9:25 PM

Same time as Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

239,854

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,309 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Tanjung Pinang 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Tanjung Pinang

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 Pinang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Tanjung Pinang, 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 $933 in Tanjung Pinang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Pinang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $236 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $80 in Tanjung Pinang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tanjung Pinang, where all-in costs run around $622, than in Chiang Mai at $935. In Tanjung Pinang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pinang – 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 Tanjung Pinang. 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.