Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karawang and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $460 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Karawang
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Karawang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Karawang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$460

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $460 per month in Karawang vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karawang $460
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $831 per month in Karawang vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karawang $831
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,201 per month in Karawang vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karawang $1,201
Chiang Mai $1,979

Karawang is about 51% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karawang and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karawang 66% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$2.24 ฿75.7

-36.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.11 Rp 200.2K

$19.00 ฿642

-41.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 Rp 59.2K

$5.55 ฿188

-40.90%

Cappuccino

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

$1.67 ฿56.6

-9.58%

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

$0.40 Rp 7,122

$0.64 ฿21.56

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,639

$0.31 ฿10.32

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

$2.36 ฿79.6

27.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.3K

$3.66 ฿124

-17.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 19.9K

$1.95 ฿65.8

-43.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$1.44 ฿48.51

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.33 ฿45.07

-36.84%

Eggs

$1.46 Rp 26.3K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-35.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.77 Rp 50.0K

$16.45 ฿556

-83.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.78 Rp 50.2K

$2.78 ฿94.0

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 Rp 136.7K

$9.31 ฿314

-18.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 Rp 31.4K

$2.35 ฿79.5

-25.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$0.97 ฿32.82

10.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$1.60 ฿53.9

-21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 Rp 9,299

$1.50 ฿50.7

-65.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

$1.28 ฿43.15

-25.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

$1.10 ฿37.22

37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

$0.71 ฿23.84

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,741

$0.49 ฿16.38

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

$4.14 ฿140

-35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.41 Rp 404.0K

$17.52 ฿592

27.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.1K

$1.61 ฿54.5

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 Rp 59.5K

$2.78 ฿94.0

18.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,193

$0.87 ฿29.33

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.78 Rp 230.3K

$54.1 ฿1,827

-76.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.16 ฿39.08

-29.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 Rp 9,037

$0.53 ฿17.82

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

$2.42 ฿81.8

-55.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.45 ฿48.93

-42.76%

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

$20.6K Rp 371.3M

$21.1K ฿711.2K

-2.20%

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

$31.5K Rp 568.5M

$26.9K ฿909.8K

17.06%

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

$33.79 Rp 609.1K

$62.2 ฿2,100

-45.65%

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

$4.18 Rp 75.3K

$12.17 ฿411

-65.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

$20.12 ฿680

-39.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.18 Rp 363.8K

$37.31 ฿1,260

-45.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.35 Rp 150.5K

$3.77 ฿127

121.49%

Cinema Ticket

$2.81 Rp 50.7K

$6.49 ฿219

-56.70%

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

$43.03 Rp 775.6K

$736 ฿24.9K

-94.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,064 Rp 145.3M

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-45.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.57 Rp 298.6K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-68.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.83 Rp 501.6K

$24.64 ฿832

12.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.92 Rp 881.8K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-46.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.34 Rp 871.3K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.4M

$482 ฿16.3K

-71.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.8 Rp 1.2M

$309 ฿10.4K

-77.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 Rp 10.0M

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-45.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 Rp 6.7M

$633 ฿21.4K

-41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,135 Rp 20.5M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-51.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$794 Rp 14.3M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-50.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$404 Rp 7.3M

$590 ฿19.9K

-31.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

5.57

104.31%

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

Last update for Karawang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Karawang

$172 37.4%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 36.1% $62

Accommodation & Living

Karawang

$69 14.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 349% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Karawang

$64 13.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 70.4% $45

Eating Out

Karawang

$63 13.6%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 23.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karawang

$50 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 88.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Karawang

$26 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 94.9% $24

Getting Around

Karawang

$17 3.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 260% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Karawang versus $482 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 46% 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 $11 in Karawang versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $234 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Karawang

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

Same time as Karawang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,472

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karawang Chiang Mai 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Karawang
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 103% more than Karawang, 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 $691 per month in Karawang and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $43 per month in Karawang and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Karawang, where all-in costs run around $460, than in Chiang Mai at $936. In Karawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Karawang. 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.