Cost of Living Comparison Between Kangar, Perlis and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Kangar, Perlis and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $865 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,324 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,782 per month in Kangar, Perlis vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kangar, Perlis and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Kangar, Perlis and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kangar, Perlis 36% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.62

$1.98 ฿64.3

82.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.02 MYR 77.1

$18.80 ฿612

1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 MYR 18.63

$7.75 ฿252

-40.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.74

$1.92 ฿62.5

51.04%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.91

$0.79 ฿25.79

-8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.49

$0.36 ฿11.62

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 MYR 14.49

$2.21 ฿72.1

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MYR 20.61

$3.66 ฿119

38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 MYR 7.67

$1.65 ฿53.8

14.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 MYR 4.08

$1.63 ฿53.2

-38.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.20

$1.19 ฿38.86

7.56%

Eggs

$2.07 MYR 8.40

$2.00 ฿65.1

3.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.20 MYR 61.6

$15.98 ฿520

-4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 MYR 17.35

$3.03 ฿98.5

41.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 MYR 37.25

$10.86 ฿354

-15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MYR 11.66

$2.76 ฿90.0

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.21

$1.18 ฿38.42

29.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 MYR 10.25

$1.64 ฿53.5

54.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.81

$1.52 ฿49.51

-5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.81

$1.38 ฿45.10

-13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.20

$1.19 ฿38.84

7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$0.70 ฿22.86

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.25

$0.56 ฿18.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 MYR 17.48

$4.58 ฿149

-5.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.52 MYR 79.2

$16.56 ฿539

17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 MYR 11.49

$1.83 ฿59.5

54.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.12

$3.20 ฿104

-6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.78

$0.88 ฿28.56

-21.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.73 MYR 47.57

$18.72 ฿610

-37.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 MYR 4.67

$1.36 ฿44.16

-15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MYR 4.14

$1.34 ฿43.65

-23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 MYR 24.48

$7.84 ฿256

-22.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.23 ฿39.92

-60.16%

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

$34.9K MYR 141.7K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

61.63%

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

$30.9K MYR 125.2K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

36.97%

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

$44.11 MYR 179

$70.5 ฿2,298

-37.47%

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

$9.05 MYR 36.71

$13.68 ฿445

-33.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MYR 119

$17.45 ฿568

68.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 MYR 147

$41.33 ฿1,346

-12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.96 MYR 24.17

$6.96 ฿227

-14.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MYR 19.84

$5.77 ฿188

-15.25%

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

$186 MYR 754

$307 ฿10.0K

-39.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,789 MYR 27.5K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-53.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 MYR 250

$55.8 ฿1,817

10.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.17 MYR 110

$26.21 ฿854

3.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 MYR 296

$85.8 ฿2,793

-14.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 MYR 203

$72.2 ฿2,353

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MYR 1,552

$430 ฿14.0K

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 MYR 1,113

$239 ฿7,774

15.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MYR 2,664

$817 ฿26.6K

-19.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 MYR 1,916

$511 ฿16.6K

-7.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,212 MYR 8,968

$1,983 ฿64.6K

11.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$919 MYR 3,728

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-38.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 ฿20.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

-18.60%

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

Last update for Kangar, Perlis: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $383 in Kangar, Perlis versus $430 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kangar, Perlis versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Kangar, Perlis vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Kangar, Perlis vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,298 per month in Kangar, Perlis and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kangar, Perlis and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Kangar, Perlis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $865 in Kangar, Perlis and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kangar, Perlis costs $865 versus $869 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 Kangar, Perlis. 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.