Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putrajaya and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $813 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
Learn more

Putrajaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$813

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $813 per month in Putrajaya vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Putrajaya $813
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,227 per month in Putrajaya vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Putrajaya $1,227
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,640 per month in Putrajaya vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Putrajaya $1,640
Chiang Mai $1,979

Putrajaya is about 13% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Putrajaya and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Putrajaya 40% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.52

$2.24 ฿75.6

59.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.03 MYR 73.2

$19.00 ฿641

-5.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.48 MYR 18.18

$5.55 ฿187

-19.28%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.71

$1.67 ฿56.5

73.05%

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

$0.82 MYR 3.34

$0.64 ฿21.54

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.31 ฿10.31

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 MYR 14.97

$2.36 ฿79.5

56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 MYR 19.19

$3.66 ฿124

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.09

$1.95 ฿65.7

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$1.44 ฿48.46

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.81

$1.33 ฿45.03

7.52%

Eggs

$1.71 MYR 6.94

$2.28 ฿77.1

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 MYR 31.33

$16.45 ฿555

-53.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.70 MYR 19.08

$2.78 ฿93.9

69.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 MYR 38.86

$9.31 ฿314

2.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 MYR 10.00

$2.35 ฿79.4

4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.04

$0.97 ฿32.79

53.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.00

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.62

$1.50 ฿50.6

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.64

$1.28 ฿43.11

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.81

$1.10 ฿37.18

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.55

$0.71 ฿23.82

92.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.10

$0.49 ฿16.36

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MYR 17.43

$4.14 ฿140

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 MYR 54.2

$17.52 ฿591

-23.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.10

$1.61 ฿54.5

85.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MYR 12.19

$2.78 ฿93.9

8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$0.87 ฿29.30

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.13 MYR 49.19

$54.1 ฿1,825

-77.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$1.16 ฿39.04

-18.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.53 ฿17.80

-11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.75 MYR 39.55

$2.42 ฿81.7

302.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 MYR 2.80

$1.45 ฿48.88

-52.41%

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

$42.8K MYR 173.6K

$21.1K ฿710.5K

103.15%

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

$34.4K MYR 139.4K

$26.9K ฿909.0K

27.53%

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

$52.5 MYR 213

$62.2 ฿2,098

-15.57%

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

$11.02 MYR 44.72

$12.17 ฿411

-9.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.68 MYR 92.0

$20.12 ฿679

12.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.81 MYR 145

$37.31 ฿1,259

-4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.28 MYR 37.64

$3.77 ฿127

146.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MYR 20.40

$6.49 ฿219

-22.50%

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

$243 MYR 984

$736 ฿24.8K

-67.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,555 MYR 18.5K

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-69.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 MYR 221

$53.4 ฿1,801

1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.78 MYR 68.1

$24.64 ฿831

-31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MYR 325

$91.5 ฿3,087

-12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 MYR 353

$71.9 ฿2,427

20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 MYR 1,398

$482 ฿16.3K

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$225 MYR 914

$309 ฿10.4K

-27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 MYR 2,570

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-37.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 MYR 1,501

$633 ฿21.4K

-41.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,682 MYR 10.9K

$2,363 ฿79.7K

13.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,783 MYR 7,235

$1,589 ฿53.6K

12.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,029 MYR 4,176

$590 ฿19.9K

74.55%

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 Putrajaya: 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

Putrajaya

$225 27.7%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 37.1% $84

Groceries & Markets

Putrajaya

$221 27.2%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 6% $13

Eating Out

Putrajaya

$109 13.5%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 29.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Putrajaya

$107 13.2%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 1.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putrajaya

$86 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 9.6% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Putrajaya

$46 5.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 9.6% $4.4

Getting Around

Putrajaya

$18 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 237% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $345 in Putrajaya 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 75% higher in Putrajaya, 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 $18 in Putrajaya versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $234 – making Putrajaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h behind Putrajaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,202

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Putrajaya Chiang Mai 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Putrajaya
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 15% more than Putrajaya, 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 $1,220 per month in Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $345 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $243 per month in Putrajaya 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 6% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $813 in Putrajaya and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Putrajaya is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.