Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Kota Bharu vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Bharu $692
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Chiang Mai $1,914

Kota Bharu is about 26% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kota Bharu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kota Bharu 49% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$2.26 ฿75.4

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$19.18 ฿641

1.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$5.59 ฿187

-18.07%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$1.72 ฿57.6

26.74%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$0.64 ฿21.54

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$0.33 ฿11.18

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$2.36 ฿78.7

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$3.90 ฿130

15.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$2.05 ฿68.6

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$1.40 ฿46.70

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.28 ฿42.89

-35.16%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.25 ฿75.3

-28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$16.94 ฿566

-18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$2.74 ฿91.6

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$9.36 ฿313

-28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$2.40 ฿80.3

21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.01 ฿33.92

48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$1.61 ฿53.9

69.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.52 ฿50.7

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$1.28 ฿42.90

-24.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$1.11 ฿37.22

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$0.72 ฿24.09

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$0.52 ฿17.54

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$4.33 ฿145

-22.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$17.73 ฿593

7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$1.63 ฿54.4

78.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$2.85 ฿95.3

86.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$0.85 ฿28.31

-9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$53.9 ฿1,801

-77.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.17 ฿39.18

47.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$0.57 ฿19.00

-35.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$2.37 ฿79.2

55.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$1.45 ฿48.32

-64.14%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

53.78%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

9.26%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$62.3 ฿2,083

-39.95%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$12.27 ฿410

-29.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$19.97 ฿668

27.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$37.91 ฿1,267

30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$6.71 ฿224

-33.23%

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

$125 MYR 508

$797 ฿26.6K

-84.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-27.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$53.3 ฿1,780

2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$25.05 ฿837

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$91.6 ฿3,062

-13.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$73.5 ฿2,455

-5.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$464 ฿15.5K

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$305 ฿10.2K

-59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$915 ฿30.6K

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$552 ฿18.5K

-59.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 MYR 1,221

$595 ฿19.9K

-49.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.57

-27.47%

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

Last update for Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 3.7% $8.5

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 149% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 9.4% $9.5

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 12.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 32.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 12.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 223% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Kota Bharu 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 99% 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 $19.00 in Kota Bharu versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $238 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 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 MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kota Bharu Chiang Mai 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

Kota Bharu vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Kota Bharu, 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 $1,037 per month in Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in Kota Bharu 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 4% 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 Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kota Bharu 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. Kota Bharu costs $692 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 Kota Bharu. 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.