Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibolga: $624 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Sibolga
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Sibolga Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sibolga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$624

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $624 per month in Sibolga vs $935 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibolga $624
Chiang Mai $935

A couple spends around $996 per month in Sibolga vs $1,467 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibolga $996
Chiang Mai $1,467

A family of three spends $1,368 per month in Sibolga vs $1,999 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sibolga $1,368
Chiang Mai $1,999

Sibolga is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sibolga and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sibolga 54% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

$2.13 ฿72.0

-21.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.03 Rp 254.4K

$18.62 ฿628

-24.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.31 Rp 60.1K

$5.60 ฿189

-40.89%

Cappuccino

$1.45 Rp 26.4K

$1.66 ฿56.1

-12.65%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,740

$0.65 ฿21.83

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,973

$0.30 ฿10.29

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 Rp 38.9K

$2.32 ฿78.4

-7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 Rp 61.2K

$3.67 ฿124

-8.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$2.02 ฿68.0

-42.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

$1.41 ฿47.51

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

$1.39 ฿46.96

-42.45%

Eggs

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

$2.37 ฿79.9

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.98 Rp 126.7K

$16.52 ฿557

-57.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 Rp 53.5K

$2.67 ฿90.1

10.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 Rp 139.2K

$9.02 ฿304

-14.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 Rp 38.8K

$2.40 ฿80.9

-10.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

$1.04 ฿35.13

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.66 ฿56.0

-7.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

$1.56 ฿52.6

-19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

$1.24 ฿41.76

1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

$1.09 ฿36.66

76.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

$0.76 ฿25.70

3.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,073

$0.51 ฿17.35

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.5K

$4.12 ฿139

-37.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.63 Rp 374.3K

$17.93 ฿605

15.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$1.62 ฿54.8

14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.7K

$2.82 ฿95.2

6.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,146

$0.93 ฿31.53

-75.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.34 Rp 205.8K

$52.9 ฿1,785

-78.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,672

$1.18 ฿39.70

-55.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 Rp 6,227

$0.17 ฿5.79

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 Rp 52.7K

$1.81 ฿61.1

60.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.47 ฿49.69

-44.90%

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

$22.6K Rp 410.0M

$21.0K ฿708.9K

7.57%

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

$32.5K Rp 590.3M

$26.5K ฿894.6K

22.73%

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

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

$62.6 ฿2,111

2.40%

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

$4.29 Rp 77.8K

$11.60 ฿392

-63.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 Rp 338.6K

$20.30 ฿685

-8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.29 Rp 331.9K

$37.88 ฿1,278

-51.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.13 Rp 147.5K

$3.70 ฿125

119.73%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

$6.51 ฿220

-58.06%

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

$94.7 Rp 1.7M

$727 ฿24.5K

-86.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,087 Rp 146.7M

$16.6K ฿559.2K

-51.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.28 Rp 785.2K

$53.5 ฿1,807

-19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.82 Rp 522.7K

$24.80 ฿837

16.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 Rp 1.4M

$90.4 ฿3,050

-15.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$72.0 ฿2,428

-1.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 Rp 4.1M

$481 ฿16.2K

-53.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 Rp 2.7M

$310 ฿10.5K

-52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 Rp 10.1M

$1,058 ฿35.7K

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 Rp 6.6M

$659 ฿22.2K

-44.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,142 Rp 20.7M

$2,418 ฿81.6K

-52.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 Rp 14.6M

$1,609 ฿54.3K

-50.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

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 Sibolga: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sibolga

$193 30.9%

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3% 22.7% $44

Accommodation & Living

Sibolga

$146 23.5%

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1% 112% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Sibolga

$99 15.8%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6% 9.9% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibolga

$87 14%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 8.6% $7.5

Eating Out

Sibolga

$61 9.8%

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2% 25.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sibolga

$24 3.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4% 114% $27

Getting Around

Sibolga

$15 2.3%

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3% 304% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $224 in Sibolga versus $481 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 $14 in Sibolga versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $237 – making Sibolga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Sibolga

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:10 4:10 PM

Same time as Sibolga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,471

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,336 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.83 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sibolga Chiang Mai 1,900 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sibolga
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sibolga, 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 $936 per month in Sibolga 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 Sibolga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $224 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $95 per month in Sibolga and $727 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $624 in Sibolga and $935 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Sibolga is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.