Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakarta: $795 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$795

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jakarta 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 Jakarta and in Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $795 per month in Jakarta vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakarta $795
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,295 per month in Jakarta vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakarta $1,295
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,794 per month in Jakarta vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Jakarta $1,794
Chiang Mai $1,914

Jakarta is about 15% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Jakarta and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Jakarta 41% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$2.26 ฿75.4

21.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.90 Rp 304.2K

$19.18 ฿641

-11.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.34 Rp 60.1K

$5.59 ฿187

-40.25%

Cappuccino

$1.99 Rp 35.9K

$1.72 ฿57.6

15.70%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,112

$0.64 ฿21.54

-29.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,704

$0.33 ฿11.18

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 Rp 46.5K

$2.36 ฿78.7

9.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 Rp 72.4K

$3.90 ฿130

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$2.05 ฿68.6

-31.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 Rp 19.5K

$1.40 ฿46.70

-22.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 Rp 16.1K

$1.28 ฿42.89

-29.69%

Eggs

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

$2.25 ฿75.3

-20.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 Rp 166.6K

$16.94 ฿566

-45.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 Rp 56.2K

$2.74 ฿91.6

13.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.73 Rp 139.2K

$9.36 ฿313

-17.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 Rp 50.6K

$2.40 ฿80.3

17.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.01 ฿33.92

30.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 Rp 47.0K

$1.61 ฿53.9

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.7K

$1.52 ฿50.7

-9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.28 ฿42.90

4.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 Rp 38.5K

$1.11 ฿37.22

92.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

$0.72 ฿24.09

31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,231

$0.52 ฿17.54

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$4.33 ฿145

-36.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 Rp 378.9K

$17.73 ฿593

18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 Rp 37.6K

$1.63 ฿54.4

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 Rp 54.5K

$2.85 ฿95.3

6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,247

$0.85 ฿28.31

-65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.58 Rp 208.5K

$53.9 ฿1,801

-78.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,581

$1.17 ฿39.18

-54.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 Rp 5,756

$0.57 ฿19.00

-43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 Rp 58.8K

$2.37 ฿79.2

37.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.45 ฿48.32

-40.00%

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

$28.3K Rp 508.6M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

38.01%

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

$33.7K Rp 606.7M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

27.13%

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

$106 Rp 1.9M

$62.3 ฿2,083

70.17%

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

$6.00 Rp 107.9K

$12.27 ฿410

-51.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 Rp 336.1K

$19.97 ฿668

-6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.84 Rp 465.2K

$37.91 ฿1,267

-31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 Rp 261.7K

$3.76 ฿126

286.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.2K

$6.71 ฿224

-50.97%

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

$150 Rp 2.7M

$797 ฿26.6K

-81.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,322 Rp 149.8M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-43.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 Rp 1.0M

$53.3 ฿1,780

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 Rp 508.5K

$25.05 ฿837

12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 Rp 1.3M

$91.6 ฿3,062

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 Rp 1.9M

$73.5 ฿2,455

42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$464 ฿15.5K

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 Rp 3.6M

$305 ฿10.2K

-34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 Rp 20.5M

$915 ฿30.6K

24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 Rp 10.2M

$552 ฿18.5K

2.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 53.7M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,458 Rp 26.3M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$449 Rp 8.1M

$595 ฿19.9K

-24.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

5.57

69.84%

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

Last update for Jakarta: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jakarta

$218 27.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 9% $20

Accommodation & Living

Jakarta

$200 25.2%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 52.1% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakarta

$131 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 27.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Jakarta

$118 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 7.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Jakarta

$80 10%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 0.8% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Jakarta

$32 4.1%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 58.4% $19

Getting Around

Jakarta

$15 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 312% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Jakarta 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 32% 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 $17.00 in Jakarta versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $238 – making Jakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:36 6:36 PM

Same time as Jakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,337,563 Capital

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 19, 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 19, 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

Jakarta Chiang Mai 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jakarta
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

Jakarta vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 18% more than Jakarta, 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 $1,192 per month in Jakarta 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 Jakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $150 per month in Jakarta 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 9% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Jakarta, where all-in costs run around $795, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Jakarta 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. Jakarta costs $795 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 Jakarta. 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.