Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sidoarjo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidoarjo: $622 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sidoarjo, Indonesia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sidoarjo
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$622
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $622 per month in Sidoarjo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sidoarjo $622
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $971 per month in Sidoarjo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sidoarjo $971
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,321 per month in Sidoarjo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • Sidoarjo $1,321
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

Sidoarjo is about 34% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.64 Rp 29.7K
$2.24 ฿75.6
-26.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.20 Rp 202.9K
$19.00 ฿641
-41.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.03 Rp 54.9K
$5.55 ฿187
-45.41%
Cappuccino
$0.57 Rp 10.3K
$1.67 ฿56.5
-65.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,661
$0.64 ฿21.54
-34.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,695
$0.31 ฿10.31
-16.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$2.36 ฿79.5
-5.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 Rp 75.5K
$3.66 ฿124
13.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 Rp 21.9K
$1.95 ฿65.7
-37.95%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.6K
$1.44 ฿48.46
-32.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.2K
$1.33 ฿45.03
-33.08%
Eggs
$1.21 Rp 22.0K
$2.28 ฿77.1
-46.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.65 Rp 138.7K
$16.45 ฿555
-53.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.4K
$2.78 ฿93.9
-31.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.63 Rp 102.0K
$9.31 ฿314
-39.53%
Apples (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.2K
$2.35 ฿79.4
-62.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
$0.97 ฿32.79
-42.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.70 Rp 12.6K
$1.60 ฿53.9
-56.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 Rp 9,631
$1.50 ฿50.6
-64.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
$1.28 ฿43.11
-42.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
$1.10 ฿37.18
-7.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.27 Rp 4,842
$0.71 ฿23.82
-61.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,148
$0.49 ฿16.36
-20.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.95 Rp 35.4K
$4.14 ฿140
-52.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.62 Rp 446.2K
$17.52 ฿591
40.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
$1.61 ฿54.5
1.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 Rp 51.8K
$2.78 ฿93.9
2.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 Rp 4,705
$0.87 ฿29.30
-70.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.85 Rp 178.5K
$54.1 ฿1,825
-81.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 Rp 7,093
$1.16 ฿39.04
-66.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 Rp 7,409
$0.53 ฿17.80
-22.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
$2.42 ฿81.7
-55.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 Rp 14.5K
$1.45 ฿48.88
-44.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 442.9M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
16.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.6K Rp 590.4M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
20.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.9 Rp 1.6M
$62.2 ฿2,098
38.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.57 Rp 82.8K
$12.17 ฿411
-62.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.21 Rp 203.2K
$20.12 ฿679
-44.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.71 Rp 339.0K
$37.31 ฿1,259
-49.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.36 Rp 151.4K
$3.77 ฿127
121.75%
Cinema Ticket
$2.63 Rp 47.7K
$6.49 ฿219
-59.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$93.4 Rp 1.7M
$736 ฿24.8K
-87.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,471 Rp 171.6M
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-35.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.3 Rp 1.3M
$53.4 ฿1,801
29.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.31 Rp 694.1K
$24.64 ฿831
55.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 Rp 1.4M
$91.5 ฿3,087
-12.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.1 Rp 1.3M
$71.9 ฿2,427
1.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$229 Rp 4.1M
$482 ฿16.3K
-52.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$309 ฿10.4K
-51.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$553 Rp 10.0M
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-44.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 Rp 6.8M
$633 ฿21.4K
-41.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,141 Rp 20.7M
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-51.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$802 Rp 14.5M
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-49.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sidoarjo
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$590 ฿19.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.5
5.57
34.65%

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

Last update for Sidoarjo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sidoarjo
$166
Chiang Mai
$234 41.1% $68
Accommodation & Living
Sidoarjo
$148
Chiang Mai
$309 108% $161
Clothing & Footwear
Sidoarjo
$117
Chiang Mai
$109 7.2% $8.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sidoarjo
$102
Chiang Mai
$94 7.1% $7.2
Eating Out
Sidoarjo
$51
Chiang Mai
$78 51.6% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Sidoarjo
$24
Chiang Mai
$50 110% $26
Getting Around
Sidoarjo
$13
Chiang Mai
$61 360% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $229 in Sidoarjo 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Sidoarjo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $234 – making Sidoarjo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Sidoarjo
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
00:06 12:06 AM
Same time as Sidoarjo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
201,115
127,240
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sidoarjo Chiang Mai 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sidoarjo
  • 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
Sidoarjo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sidoarjo or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 51% more than Sidoarjo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sidoarjo and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $932 per month in Sidoarjo and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sidoarjo or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidoarjo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $229 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in Sidoarjo and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $93 per month in Sidoarjo and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Sidoarjo or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 41% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Sidoarjo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Sidoarjo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Sidoarjo vs other spots: cost of living compared

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