Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,530 in Male, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,530

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,530 per month in Male vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Male $1,530
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $2,451 per month in Male vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Male $2,451
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $3,373 per month in Male vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Male $3,373
Chiang Mai $1,914

Male costs about 63% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Male sits 13% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 MVR 89.7

$2.26 ฿75.4

157.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MVR 602

$19.18 ฿641

103.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 MVR 152

$5.59 ฿187

76.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.80 MVR 74.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 MVR 75.5

Cappuccino

$3.51 MVR 54.1

$1.72 ฿57.6

104.07%

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

$1.67 MVR 25.69

$0.64 ฿21.54

160.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.80

$0.33 ฿11.18

-6.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 MVR 30.68

$2.05 ฿68.6

-2.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 MVR 26.08

$1.40 ฿46.70

20.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 MVR 19.33

$1.28 ฿42.89

-2.34%

Eggs

$1.88 MVR 29.07

$2.25 ฿75.3

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 MVR 164

$16.94 ฿566

-37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 MVR 95.0

$2.74 ฿91.6

124.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.56 MVR 147

$9.36 ฿313

2.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 MVR 61.4

$2.40 ฿80.3

65.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 MVR 45.98

$1.01 ฿33.92

195.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 MVR 62.1

$1.61 ฿53.9

150.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 MVR 42.16

$1.52 ฿50.7

79.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MVR 32.01

$1.28 ฿42.90

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MVR 28.77

$1.11 ฿37.22

68.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 MVR 32.73

$0.72 ฿24.09

194.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MVR 9.09

$0.52 ฿17.54

13.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.47 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 MVR 40.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 MVR 29.47

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.18 MVR 234

$4.33 ฿145

250.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MVR 10.26

$0.85 ฿28.31

-21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.32 MVR 467

$53.9 ฿1,801

-43.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 MVR 30.69

$1.17 ฿39.18

70.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 MVR 30.55

$0.57 ฿19.00

247.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 MVR 157

$2.37 ฿79.2

330.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 MVR 15.19

$1.45 ฿48.32

-32.41%

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

$32.1K MVR 495.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

56.79%

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

$29.2K MVR 451.0K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

10.31%

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

$119 MVR 1,829

$62.3 ฿2,083

90.29%

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

$30.12 MVR 465

$12.27 ฿410

145.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 MVR 1,140

$19.97 ฿668

270.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 MVR 1,100

$37.91 ฿1,267

88.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 MVR 519

$3.76 ฿126

795.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.76 MVR 150

$6.71 ฿224

45.45%

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

$181 MVR 2,797

$797 ฿26.6K

-77.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,056 MVR 47.1K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-79.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.52 MVR 609

$53.3 ฿1,780

-25.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 MVR 763

$25.05 ฿837

97.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 MVR 1,323

$91.6 ฿3,062

-6.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 MVR 812

$73.5 ฿2,455

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MVR 14.5K

$464 ฿15.5K

102.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MVR 10.9K

$305 ฿10.2K

132.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 MVR 31.0K

$915 ฿30.6K

119.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 MVR 24.2K

$552 ฿18.5K

184.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,213 MVR 34.1K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

15.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,385 MVR 21.4K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-3.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 MVR 13.0K

$595 ฿19.9K

41.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

151.35%

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

Last update for Male: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Male

$709 46.4%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 57.1% $405

Groceries & Markets

Male

$234 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 1.8% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$223 14.6%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 57.5% $128

Eating Out

Male

$126 8.2%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 37.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 7% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$91 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 43.5% $40

Getting Around

Male

$45 2.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 36.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $938 in Male 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 42% higher in Male, 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 $39.00 in Male versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in Male vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Male wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

2 h ahead of Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

127,240

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.34 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 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 MVR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Male Chiang Mai 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Male
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

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

Male costs about 63% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,295 per month in Male 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $181 per month in Male 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 2% cheaper in Male – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Male at $1,530. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Male it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $938 versus $1,530 in Male. 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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Male makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.