Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malatya and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Malatya: $687 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Malatya
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Malatya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Malatya

🇹🇷 Turkey

$687

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $687 per month in Malatya vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malatya $687
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Malatya vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malatya $1,058
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,429 per month in Malatya vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Malatya $1,429
Chiang Mai $1,999

Malatya is about 27% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Malatya and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Malatya 49% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 ₺237

$2.13 ฿71.8

122.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.59 ₺1,480

$18.62 ฿626

58.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 ₺364

$5.60 ฿188

29.82%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₺78.1

$1.66 ฿55.9

-6.02%

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

$0.93 ₺46.35

$0.65 ฿21.75

43.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₺15.81

$0.30 ฿10.25

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 ₺111

$2.32 ฿78.1

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 ₺176

$3.67 ฿123

-4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 ₺39.47

$2.02 ฿67.8

-60.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₺38.20

$1.41 ฿47.34

-46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₺134

$1.39 ฿46.79

92.81%

Eggs

$1.73 ₺86.4

$2.37 ฿79.6

-27.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 ₺408

$16.52 ฿555

-50.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ₺114

$2.67 ฿89.8

-14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 ₺800

$9.02 ฿303

77.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ₺80.6

$2.40 ฿80.6

-32.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₺78.2

$1.04 ฿35.01

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.79 ₺39.36

$1.66 ฿55.8

-52.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 ₺37.04

$1.56 ฿52.4

-52.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₺19.69

$1.24 ฿41.61

-68.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₺18.62

$1.09 ฿36.53

-66.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₺25.72

$0.76 ฿25.61

-32.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₺23.88

$0.51 ฿17.29

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 ₺97.1

$4.12 ฿139

-52.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 ₺597

$17.93 ฿603

-33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₺92.2

$1.62 ฿54.6

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₺107

$2.82 ฿94.9

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,778

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₺36.73

$1.18 ฿39.56

-38.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 ₺34.50

$0.17 ฿5.76

305.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₺66.4

$1.47 ฿49.51

-9.52%

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

$40.2K ₺2.0M

$21.0K ฿706.4K

91.28%

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

$40.5K ₺2.0M

$26.5K ฿891.4K

52.78%

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

$30.18 ₺1,510

$62.6 ฿2,103

-51.76%

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

$10.13 ₺507

$11.60 ฿390

-12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 ₺703

$20.30 ฿683

-30.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.41 ₺1,771

$37.88 ฿1,274

-6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₺262

$6.51 ฿219

-19.66%

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

$727 ฿24.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿557.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.02 ₺751

$53.5 ฿1,800

-71.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 ₺3,558

$24.80 ฿834

186.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.1 ₺2,505

$90.4 ฿3,039

-44.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.91 ₺1,496

$72.0 ฿2,420

-58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ₺16.6K

$481 ฿16.2K

-31.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 ₺10.9K

$310 ฿10.4K

-29.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$466 ₺23.3K

$1,058 ฿35.6K

-55.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ₺16.3K

$659 ฿22.1K

-50.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,105 ₺55.3K

$595 ฿20.0K

85.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

671.99%

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

Last update for Malatya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malatya

$217 31.7%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 42.5% $92

Groceries & Markets

Malatya

$188 27.4%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 25.6% $48

Eating Out

Malatya

$102 14.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 24.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Malatya

$75 10.9%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 44.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malatya

$54 7.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 73.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Malatya

$46 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 11% $5

Getting Around

Malatya

$4.2 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 1303% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $332 in Malatya versus $481 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 86% higher in Malatya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Malatya versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Malatya vs $237 in Chiang Mai – so Malatya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Malatya

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

4 h ahead of Malatya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

781,305

127,240

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.31 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Malatya Chiang Mai 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Malatya
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 36% more than Malatya, 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 $1,030 per month in Malatya 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 Malatya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $332 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $687 in Malatya and $935 in Chiang Mai. That makes Malatya about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $687 in Malatya and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $687 in Malatya to $935 in Chiang Mai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.