Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denpasar, Bali and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living costs are similar in Denpasar, Bali and in Chiang Mai: $901 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Denpasar, Bali
Learn more

Denpasar, Bali Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Denpasar, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$901

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denpasar, Bali and in Chiang Mai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Denpasar, Bali and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $901 per month in Denpasar, Bali vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denpasar, Bali $901
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Denpasar, Bali vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denpasar, Bali $1,508
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $2,114 per month in Denpasar, Bali vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Denpasar, Bali $2,114
Chiang Mai $1,914

Denpasar, Bali is about 4% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Denpasar, Bali and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Denpasar, Bali 33% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 Rp 39.2K

$2.26 ฿75.4

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 Rp 421.2K

$19.18 ฿641

22.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 Rp 67.7K

$5.59 ฿187

-32.74%

Cappuccino

$1.84 Rp 33.1K

$1.72 ฿57.6

6.98%

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

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

$0.64 ฿21.54

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$0.33 ฿11.18

75.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$2.36 ฿78.7

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

$3.90 ฿130

-26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$2.05 ฿68.6

-40.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

$1.40 ฿46.70

33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

$1.28 ฿42.89

-26.56%

Eggs

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$2.25 ฿75.3

-21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 Rp 250.7K

$16.94 ฿566

-17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 Rp 57.8K

$2.74 ฿91.6

17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 Rp 179.2K

$9.36 ฿313

6.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

$2.40 ฿80.3

18.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

$1.01 ฿33.92

29.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

$1.61 ฿53.9

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

$1.52 ฿50.7

5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.28 ฿42.90

15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 34.9K

$1.11 ฿37.22

74.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

$0.72 ฿24.09

6.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,874

$0.52 ฿17.54

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

$4.33 ฿145

-57.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.51 Rp 333.2K

$17.73 ฿593

4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$1.63 ฿54.4

17.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 Rp 42.8K

$2.85 ฿95.3

-16.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 Rp 3,947

$0.85 ฿28.31

-74.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.14 Rp 128.5K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-86.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 Rp 7,042

$1.17 ฿39.18

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,509

$0.57 ฿19.00

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 Rp 56.4K

$2.37 ฿79.2

32.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$1.45 ฿48.32

-48.97%

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

$22.1K Rp 397.2M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

7.78%

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

$28.1K Rp 506.3M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

6.09%

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

$74.5 Rp 1.3M

$62.3 ฿2,083

19.53%

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

$5.86 Rp 105.5K

$12.27 ฿410

-52.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.81 Rp 302.6K

$19.97 ฿668

-15.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 Rp 710.5K

$37.91 ฿1,267

4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 Rp 235.3K

$3.76 ฿126

247.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 56.9K

$6.71 ฿224

-52.91%

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

$373 Rp 6.7M

$797 ฿26.6K

-53.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,499 Rp 81.0M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-69.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.34 Rp 690.1K

$53.3 ฿1,780

-28.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 Rp 540.1K

$25.05 ฿837

19.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 Rp 1.2M

$91.6 ฿3,062

-24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$73.5 ฿2,455

-8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 Rp 10.6M

$464 ฿15.5K

26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 Rp 6.3M

$305 ฿10.2K

14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,874 Rp 33.7M

$915 ฿30.6K

104.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 Rp 16.2M

$552 ฿18.5K

63.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 Rp 25.7M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-25.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 Rp 21.5M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-17.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$595 ฿19.9K

-53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.57

147.40%

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

Last update for Denpasar, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denpasar, Bali

$349 38.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 12.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Denpasar, Bali

$235 26.1%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 1.3% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denpasar, Bali

$97 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 2.7% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Denpasar, Bali

$92 10.2%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 19.1% $18

Eating Out

Denpasar, Bali

$72 8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 10.1% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Denpasar, Bali

$46 5.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 12.1% $5.6

Getting Around

Denpasar, Bali

$10 1.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 485% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $589 in Denpasar, Bali versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 114% 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 $23.00 in Denpasar, Bali versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Denpasar, Bali vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Denpasar, Bali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Denpasar, Bali

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

23:12 11:12 PM

1 h behind Denpasar, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

788,445

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Denpasar, Bali Chiang Mai 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Denpasar, Bali
Chiang Mai

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

Denpasar, Bali vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 4% more than Denpasar, Bali, 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 $1,352 per month in Denpasar, Bali and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denpasar, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $373 per month in Denpasar, Bali and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Denpasar, Bali, where all-in costs run around $901, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Denpasar, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Denpasar, Bali costs $901 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Denpasar, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.