Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Terengganu and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuala Terengganu and in Chiang Mai: $924 and $938 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
Learn more

Kuala Terengganu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $924 per month in Kuala Terengganu vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kuala Terengganu $924
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,372 per month in Kuala Terengganu vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kuala Terengganu $1,372
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,821 per month in Kuala Terengganu vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Kuala Terengganu $1,821
Chiang Mai $1,914

Kuala Terengganu is about 2% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kuala Terengganu and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Kuala Terengganu 32% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$2.26 ฿75.4

10.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 MYR 94.1

$19.18 ฿641

20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 MYR 19.25

$5.59 ฿187

-15.56%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 11.08

$1.72 ฿57.6

58.14%

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

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.64 ฿21.54

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 MYR 1.14

$0.33 ฿11.18

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.52

$2.36 ฿78.7

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$3.90 ฿130

7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$2.05 ฿68.6

-17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$1.40 ฿46.70

-27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$1.28 ฿42.89

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$2.25 ฿75.3

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 MYR 63.9

$16.94 ฿566

-7.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.73

$2.74 ฿91.6

58.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.29

$9.36 ฿313

-10.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.73

$2.40 ฿80.3

40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.59

$1.01 ฿33.92

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$1.61 ฿53.9

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$1.52 ฿50.7

-1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$1.28 ฿42.90

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$1.11 ฿37.22

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$0.72 ฿24.09

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$0.52 ฿17.54

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.18

$4.33 ฿145

3.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$17.73 ฿593

0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.91

$1.63 ฿54.4

79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MYR 19.66

$2.85 ฿95.3

69.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.75

$0.85 ฿28.31

-21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.31

$53.9 ฿1,801

-80.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.20

$1.17 ฿39.18

8.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$0.57 ฿19.00

-19.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 MYR 26.73

$2.37 ฿79.2

176.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.65

$1.45 ฿48.32

-37.93%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

114.07%

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

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

21.10%

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

$45.25 MYR 185

$62.3 ฿2,083

-27.40%

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

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$12.27 ฿410

-28.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.10 MYR 102

$19.97 ฿668

25.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 MYR 180

$37.91 ฿1,267

16.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.97 MYR 32.49

$3.76 ฿126

111.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$6.71 ฿224

-28.32%

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

$172 MYR 701

$797 ฿26.6K

-78.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-53.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MYR 235

$53.3 ฿1,780

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 MYR 148

$25.05 ฿837

45.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 MYR 353

$91.6 ฿3,062

-5.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 MYR 278

$73.5 ฿2,455

-7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,472

$464 ฿15.5K

-22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MYR 1,275

$305 ฿10.2K

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MYR 2,946

$915 ฿30.6K

-21.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,923

$552 ฿18.5K

-14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,456

$1,912 ฿63.9K

8.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 MYR 4,669

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-20.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 2.5% $7.8

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 6.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 2% $2.3

Eating Out

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 17.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 19.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 4.3% $2.3

Getting Around

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 263% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Kuala Terengganu 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $238 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

1 h behind Kuala Terengganu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

375,424

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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kuala Terengganu Chiang Mai 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Terengganu
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

Kuala Terengganu vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 2% more than Kuala Terengganu, 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 $1,386 per month in Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $172 per month in Kuala Terengganu and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chiang Mai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Terengganu, where all-in costs run around $924, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Kuala Terengganu 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. Kuala Terengganu costs $924 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 Kuala Terengganu. 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.