Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarawak and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarawak and in Chiang Mai: $954 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Sarawak
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Sarawak Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sarawak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$954

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $954 per month in Sarawak vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarawak $954
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Sarawak vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarawak $1,408
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Sarawak vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sarawak $1,862
Chiang Mai $1,979

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

Both Sarawak and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sarawak 30% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.60

$2.24 ฿75.7

59.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.96 MYR 81.3

$19.00 ฿642

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.16

$5.55 ฿188

-15.32%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.06

$1.67 ฿56.6

77.25%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$0.64 ฿21.56

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.31 ฿10.32

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 MYR 16.08

$2.36 ฿79.6

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.63

$3.66 ฿124

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.13

$1.95 ฿65.8

-10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 MYR 4.98

$1.44 ฿48.51

-15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.33 ฿45.07

2.26%

Eggs

$2.26 MYR 9.20

$2.28 ฿77.1

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 MYR 58.9

$16.45 ฿556

-12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 MYR 16.58

$2.78 ฿94.0

46.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 MYR 40.13

$9.31 ฿314

5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.81

$2.35 ฿79.5

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.89

$0.97 ฿32.82

49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.72

$1.60 ฿53.9

48.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$1.50 ฿50.7

-12.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$1.28 ฿43.15

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.10 ฿37.22

12.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 MYR 4.50

$0.71 ฿23.84

56.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$0.49 ฿16.38

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MYR 17.41

$4.14 ฿140

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 MYR 68.7

$17.52 ฿592

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 MYR 11.94

$1.61 ฿54.5

81.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MYR 16.40

$2.78 ฿94.0

44.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.87 ฿29.33

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.56 MYR 43.04

$54.1 ฿1,827

-80.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MYR 4.55

$1.16 ฿39.08

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.08

$0.53 ฿17.82

-3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 MYR 28.22

$2.42 ฿81.8

186.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$1.45 ฿48.93

-46.90%

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

$50.4K MYR 205.2K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

139.19%

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

$39.9K MYR 162.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

48.01%

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

$52.9 MYR 216

$62.2 ฿2,100

-14.86%

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

$10.66 MYR 43.43

$12.17 ฿411

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.13 MYR 119

$20.12 ฿680

44.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.05 MYR 163

$37.31 ฿1,260

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.22 MYR 29.42

$3.77 ฿127

91.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 MYR 22.83

$6.49 ฿219

-13.71%

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

$241 MYR 981

$736 ฿24.9K

-67.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,956 MYR 28.3K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-52.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MYR 237

$53.4 ฿1,802

8.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 MYR 122

$24.64 ฿832

21.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 354

$91.5 ฿3,089

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 MYR 309

$71.9 ฿2,429

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,669

$482 ฿16.3K

-15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 MYR 1,297

$309 ฿10.4K

3.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 MYR 2,870

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 MYR 2,000

$633 ฿21.4K

-22.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,170 MYR 8,841

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-8.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 MYR 5,393

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-16.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 MYR 1,420

$590 ฿19.9K

-40.89%

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 Sarawak: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarawak

$318 33.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 3% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Sarawak

$249 26.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Sarawak

$113 11.8%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 3.8% $4.3

Eating Out

Sarawak

$112 11.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 30.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarawak

$93 9.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 1.9% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sarawak

$51 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 1.9% $1

Getting Around

Sarawak

$17 1.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 256% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Sarawak 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 69% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $20 in Sarawak versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sarawak

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h behind Sarawak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sarawak Chiang Mai 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarawak
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

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

Sarawak 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 $1,430 per month in Sarawak 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 Sarawak, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $410 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $241 per month in Sarawak 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 Sarawak, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $954 in Sarawak and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $954 in Sarawak. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.