Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miri and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $805 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$805

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $805 per month in Miri vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Miri $805
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,224 per month in Miri vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Miri $1,224
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,644 per month in Miri vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Miri $1,644
Chiang Mai $1,979

Miri is about 14% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Miri and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Miri 41% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.55 MYR 14.47

$2.24 ฿75.7

58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.12 MYR 49.40

$19.00 ฿642

-36.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.42 MYR 18.00

$5.55 ฿188

-20.36%

Cappuccino

$2.26 MYR 9.20

$1.67 ฿56.6

35.33%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.64 ฿21.56

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.31 ฿10.32

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MYR 11.83

$2.36 ฿79.6

22.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MYR 15.72

$3.66 ฿124

5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MYR 5.72

$1.95 ฿65.8

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$1.44 ฿48.51

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 MYR 4.04

$1.33 ฿45.07

-25.56%

Eggs

$3.43 MYR 13.96

$2.28 ฿77.1

50.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.45 ฿556

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 MYR 19.90

$2.78 ฿94.0

75.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 MYR 61.1

$9.31 ฿314

61.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ฿79.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$0.97 ฿32.82

102.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿43.15

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ฿37.22

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ฿23.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.49 ฿16.38

-20.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.48

$4.14 ฿140

3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.71 MYR 80.3

$17.52 ฿592

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 MYR 12.21

$1.61 ฿54.5

86.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 MYR 9.51

$2.78 ฿94.0

-16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.87 ฿29.33

-45.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.01 MYR 57.1

$54.1 ฿1,827

-74.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$1.16 ฿39.08

7.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 MYR 2.39

$0.53 ฿17.82

11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MYR 24.36

$2.42 ฿81.8

147.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 MYR 2.63

$1.45 ฿48.93

-55.86%

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

$49.6K MYR 202.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

135.45%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

20.67%

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

$49.18 MYR 200

$62.2 ฿2,100

-20.89%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.41

$12.17 ฿411

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 MYR 136

$20.12 ฿680

66.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.19 MYR 119

$37.31 ฿1,260

-21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.25 MYR 25.48

$3.77 ฿127

65.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$6.49 ฿219

-33.28%

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

$99.5 MYR 405

$736 ฿24.9K

-86.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,535 MYR 26.6K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-55.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.80 MYR 183

$53.4 ฿1,802

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.11 MYR 94.2

$24.64 ฿832

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 MYR 225

$91.5 ฿3,089

-39.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.17 MYR 176

$71.9 ฿2,429

-39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 MYR 1,416

$482 ฿16.3K

-27.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MYR 1,179

$309 ฿10.4K

-6.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 MYR 2,400

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-41.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 MYR 2,355

$633 ฿21.4K

-8.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,201 MYR 4,893

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-49.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$680 MYR 2,770

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MYR 2,804

$590 ฿19.9K

16.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

5.57

-26.03%

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

Last update for Miri: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Miri

$289 36%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 6.7% $19

Groceries & Markets

Miri

$195 * 24.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 20.5% $40

Eating Out

Miri

$95 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 18.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miri

$93 11.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 2.1% $1.9

Clothing & Footwear

Miri

$75 9.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 45.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Miri

$38 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 32.8% $12

Getting Around

Miri

$20 2.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 206% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $348 in Miri 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.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Miri, 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 $12 in Miri versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $234 – making Miri the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Miri

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

02:02 2:02 AM

1 h behind Miri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,877

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Miri Chiang Mai 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Miri
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 16% more than Miri, 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 $1,207 per month in Miri 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 Miri, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $348 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $99 per month in Miri and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Miri – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

For expats, Miri is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 16% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.