Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,501 per month in Male vs $861 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,377 per month in Male vs $1,350 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Male vs $1,838 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Male costs about 74% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Male sits 12% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 MVR 82.8

$1.96 ฿65.9

173.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.25 MVR 451

$18.35 ฿617

59.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 MVR 147

$7.48 ฿252

27.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 MVR 71.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 MVR 56.3

Cappuccino

$2.96 MVR 45.72

$2.02 ฿67.8

46.53%

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

$1.34 MVR 20.62

$0.85 ฿28.52

57.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 MVR 4.20

$0.36 ฿11.97

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ฿71.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 MVR 28.72

$1.65 ฿55.5

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 MVR 24.95

$1.57 ฿52.7

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MVR 20.23

$1.19 ฿40.05

10.08%

Eggs

$1.80 MVR 27.71

$1.94 ฿65.1

-7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 MVR 127

$16.19 ฿545

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 MVR 97.8

$2.99 ฿101

112.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.04 MVR 139

$10.94 ฿368

-17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$2.71 ฿91.2

47.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 MVR 58.0

$1.17 ฿39.27

221.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 MVR 65.4

$1.69 ฿56.8

150.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 MVR 50.4

$1.60 ฿54.0

104.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MVR 23.89

$1.38 ฿46.56

12.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.73

$1.20 ฿40.47

0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.09 MVR 47.69

$0.67 ฿22.51

361.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MVR 8.18

$0.56 ฿18.74

-5.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.46 MVR 192

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MVR 42.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 MVR 162

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 MVR 126

$4.64 ฿156

75.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.62 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MVR 9.57

$0.88 ฿29.70

-29.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MVR 451

$19.34 ฿651

51.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 MVR 29.91

$1.36 ฿45.92

42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 MVR 29.80

$1.34 ฿45.00

44.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.79 MVR 151

$8.21 ฿276

19.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MVR 14.77

$1.22 ฿41.20

-21.31%

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

$31.9K MVR 492.0K

$21.4K ฿718.5K

49.41%

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

$34.7K MVR 535.8K

$22.5K ฿758.1K

54.23%

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

$105 MVR 1,612

$70.7 ฿2,378

47.91%

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

$41.36 MVR 638

$14.04 ฿472

194.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 MVR 1,168

$17.49 ฿589

333.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.9 MVR 1,263

$42.15 ฿1,418

94.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.07 MVR 679

$6.88 ฿231

540.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$5.92 ฿199

60.14%

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

$164 MVR 2,524

$309 ฿10.4K

-46.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,553 MVR 54.8K

$14.9K ฿500.7K

-76.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.31 MVR 699

$55.8 ฿1,876

-18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MVR 864

$26.11 ฿879

114.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MVR 1,407

$83.0 ฿2,793

9.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 MVR 823

$70.5 ฿2,371

-24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 MVR 15.0K

$432 ฿14.5K

124.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 MVR 10.8K

$239 ฿8,040

191.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 MVR 25.7K

$822 ฿27.7K

102.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MVR 22.2K

$512 ฿17.2K

181.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,263 MVR 34.9K

$1,915 ฿64.4K

18.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 MVR 29.1K

$1,467 ฿49.4K

28.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$866 MVR 13.4K

$579 ฿19.5K

49.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

148.00%

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

Last update for Male: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $972 in Male versus $432 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 49% 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 $29.00 in Male versus $18.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $233 in Male vs $243 in Chiang Mai – so Male wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 74% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,252 per month in Male and $1,292 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 $164 per month in Male and $309 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 5% 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 $861, than in Male at $1,501. 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 $861 versus $1,501 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.