Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Metro, Lampung and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Metro, Lampung: $734 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Metro, Lampung, Indonesia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Metro, Lampung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$734
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $734 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $734
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,159 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $1,159
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,583 per month in Metro, Lampung vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Metro, Lampung $1,583
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Metro, Lampung is about 22% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Metro, Lampung and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Metro, Lampung 46% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.79 Rp 50.6K
$2.24 ฿75.6
24.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.35 Rp 296.3K
$19.00 ฿641
-13.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.26 Rp 59.1K
$5.55 ฿187
-41.26%
Cappuccino
$1.93 Rp 34.9K
$1.67 ฿56.5
15.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 Rp 8,101
$0.64 ฿21.54
-29.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,720
$0.31 ฿10.31
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 Rp 44.0K
$2.36 ฿79.5
2.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 Rp 71.1K
$3.66 ฿124
7.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 Rp 24.3K
$1.95 ฿65.7
-31.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
$1.44 ฿48.46
-26.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$1.33 ฿45.03
-36.84%
Eggs
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$2.28 ฿77.1
-18.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.24 Rp 167.4K
$16.45 ฿555
-43.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.04 Rp 55.0K
$2.78 ฿93.9
9.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.62 Rp 138.2K
$9.31 ฿314
-18.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.74 Rp 49.7K
$2.35 ฿79.4
16.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.6K
$0.97 ฿32.79
40.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 Rp 45.1K
$1.60 ฿53.9
55.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.2K
$1.50 ฿50.6
-10.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.9K
$1.28 ฿43.11
7.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 Rp 37.4K
$1.10 ฿37.18
88.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 Rp 16.3K
$0.71 ฿23.82
26.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,396
$0.49 ฿16.36
-6.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.70 Rp 48.9K
$4.14 ฿140
-34.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.20 Rp 384.2K
$17.52 ฿591
21.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 Rp 37.2K
$1.61 ฿54.5
27.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 54.4K
$2.78 ฿93.9
7.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,335
$0.87 ฿29.30
-72.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.75 Rp 213.0K
$54.1 ฿1,825
-78.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,872
$1.16 ฿39.04
-57.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 Rp 5,708
$0.53 ฿17.80
-39.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.39 Rp 61.4K
$2.42 ฿81.7
40.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 Rp 14.6K
$1.45 ฿48.88
-44.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K Rp 500.6M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
31.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K Rp 589.5M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
20.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$107 Rp 1.9M
$62.2 ฿2,098
72.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.13 Rp 111.1K
$12.17 ฿411
-49.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.69 Rp 338.6K
$20.12 ฿679
-7.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.56 Rp 281.9K
$37.31 ฿1,259
-58.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.91 Rp 143.3K
$3.77 ฿127
109.81%
Cinema Ticket
$3.09 Rp 56.1K
$6.49 ฿219
-52.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$94.2 Rp 1.7M
$736 ฿24.8K
-87.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,017 Rp 145.3M
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-45.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.7 Rp 1.0M
$53.4 ฿1,801
8.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.04 Rp 508.0K
$24.64 ฿831
13.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.3 Rp 1.3M
$91.5 ฿3,087
-20.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 Rp 1.9M
$71.9 ฿2,427
46.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$201 Rp 3.6M
$482 ฿16.3K
-58.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$154 Rp 2.8M
$309 ฿10.4K
-50.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 Rp 10.0M
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-44.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$393 Rp 7.1M
$633 ฿21.4K
-38.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,135 Rp 20.6M
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-51.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$879 Rp 15.9M
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-44.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Metro, Lampung
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
5.57
69.84%

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

Last update for Metro, Lampung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Metro, Lampung
$215
Chiang Mai
$234 8.9% $19
Accommodation & Living
Metro, Lampung
$154
Chiang Mai
$309 101% $155
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Metro, Lampung
$132
Chiang Mai
$94 28.3% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Metro, Lampung
$119
Chiang Mai
$109 8.4% $10
Eating Out
Metro, Lampung
$78
Chiang Mai
$78 0.6% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Metro, Lampung
$22
Chiang Mai
$50 131% $29
Getting Around
Metro, Lampung
$15
Chiang Mai
$61 315% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Metro, Lampung versus $482 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 $16 in Metro, Lampung versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $234 – making Metro, Lampung the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Metro, Lampung
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
17:34 5:34 PM
17:34 5:34 PM
Same time as Metro, Lampung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,361
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Metro, Lampung Chiang Mai 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Metro, Lampung
  • 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
Metro, Lampung vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Metro, Lampung or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 27% more than Metro, Lampung, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Metro, Lampung and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,101 per month in Metro, Lampung and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Metro, Lampung or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Metro, Lampung, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Metro, Lampung and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $94 per month in Metro, Lampung and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Metro, Lampung or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 9% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Metro, Lampung – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Metro, Lampung is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 22% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Metro, Lampung vs other spots: cost of living compared

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