Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nilai and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Nilai and in Chiang Mai: $944 and $925 a month, rent and utilities included.

46

Cost of Living Index in Nilai
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Nilai Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Nilai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$944

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $944 per month in Nilai vs $925 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nilai $944
Chiang Mai $925

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Nilai vs $1,414 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nilai $1,408
Chiang Mai $1,414

A family of three spends $1,873 per month in Nilai vs $1,903 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Nilai $1,873
Chiang Mai $1,903

Nilai costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nilai and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Nilai 30% lower, Chiang Mai 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.61 MYR 14.71

$2.29 ฿76.5

57.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.70 MYR 80.4

$19.64 ฿656

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 MYR 25.13

$5.61 ฿188

9.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MYR 14.09

$1.66 ฿55.6

107.83%

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

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$0.70 ฿23.40

15.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 MYR 1.56

$0.31 ฿10.24

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.54

$2.41 ฿80.4

47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.29

$3.71 ฿124

20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.95 ฿65.3

-11.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 MYR 5.65

$1.41 ฿47.03

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.31 ฿43.62

9.16%

Eggs

$2.22 MYR 9.06

$2.18 ฿72.9

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 MYR 56.4

$16.65 ฿556

-17.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.61

$2.76 ฿92.2

56.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 MYR 40.11

$9.11 ฿304

7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 MYR 13.15

$2.39 ฿80.0

34.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.91

$1.03 ฿34.26

64.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$1.63 ฿54.4

51.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.33

$1.50 ฿50.0

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.21

$1.29 ฿43.13

-0.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.27

$1.11 ฿37.03

16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$0.72 ฿24.08

63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.53 ฿17.59

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.97 MYR 20.29

$4.31 ฿144

15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 MYR 85.0

$17.95 ฿600

16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 MYR 10.60

$1.58 ฿52.9

64.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MYR 17.75

$2.84 ฿95.0

53.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MYR 2.99

$0.86 ฿28.86

-15.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.51 MYR 55.1

$53.3 ฿1,780

-74.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.21 ฿40.29

-7.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.57 ฿18.99

-8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 MYR 34.46

$2.35 ฿78.6

259.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 MYR 3.93

$1.44 ฿47.96

-33.33%

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

$42.8K MYR 174.4K

$20.7K ฿692.8K

106.28%

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

$30.6K MYR 125.0K

$26.8K ฿895.7K

14.36%

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

$49.33 MYR 201

$62.3 ฿2,083

-20.86%

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

$9.58 MYR 39.06

$12.11 ฿405

-20.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.03 MYR 114

$19.94 ฿666

40.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 MYR 151

$37.07 ฿1,239

-0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.36 MYR 25.94

$3.78 ฿126

68.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.55

$6.50 ฿217

-26.31%

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

$186 MYR 759

$793 ฿26.5K

-76.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,358 MYR 25.9K

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-57.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 MYR 202

$53.7 ฿1,796

-7.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.46 MYR 153

$24.62 ฿823

52.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 MYR 308

$90.9 ฿3,036

-16.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 MYR 331

$71.1 ฿2,378

14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 MYR 1,558

$455 ฿15.2K

-16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MYR 1,210

$298 ฿9,954

-0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 MYR 2,715

$908 ฿30.4K

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MYR 1,947

$554 ฿18.5K

-13.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,219 MYR 9,052

$1,931 ฿64.5K

14.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$979 MYR 3,993

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-32.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,393 MYR 5,683

$591 ฿19.7K

135.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Nilai: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nilai

$297 31.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 0.4% $1.3

Groceries & Markets

Nilai

$263 27.9%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 10.6% $28

Eating Out

Nilai

$120 12.8%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 34.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Nilai

$110 11.6%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 1.3% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nilai

$87 9.2%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 8.6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nilai

$47 4.9%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 7.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Nilai

$20 2.1%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 202% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $382 in Nilai versus $455 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 136% higher in Nilai, 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 $20.00 in Nilai versus $20.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $263 in Nilai vs $235 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Nilai

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

11:12 11:12 AM

1 h behind Nilai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,612

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nilai Chiang Mai 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Nilai
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

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

Nilai costs about 2% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,415 per month in Nilai and $1,388 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 $186 per month in Nilai and $793 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Nilai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Nilai at $944. In Chiang Mai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nilai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $925 versus $944 in Nilai. 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, Nilai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.