Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Tangerang and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in South Tangerang: $654 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

South Tangerang, Indonesia
Chiang Mai, Thailand
South Tangerang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$654
/mo nomad
Chiang Mai
🇹🇭 Thailand
$936
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $654 per month in South Tangerang vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • South Tangerang $654
  • Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $997 per month in South Tangerang vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • South Tangerang $997
  • Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,341 per month in South Tangerang vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

  • South Tangerang $1,341
  • Chiang Mai $1,979

South Tangerang is about 30% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both South Tangerang and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – South Tangerang 52% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.69 Rp 30.6K
$2.24 ฿75.6
-24.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.56 Rp 245.8K
$19.00 ฿641
-28.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$5.55 ฿187
-39.10%
Cappuccino
$1.53 Rp 27.7K
$1.67 ฿56.5
-8.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 Rp 8,136
$0.64 ฿21.54
-29.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 Rp 4,374
$0.31 ฿10.31
-22.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 Rp 45.8K
$2.36 ฿79.5
7.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 56.2K
$3.66 ฿124
-15.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
$1.95 ฿65.7
-40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
$1.44 ฿48.46
-29.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$1.33 ฿45.03
-33.08%
Eggs
$1.72 Rp 31.1K
$2.28 ฿77.1
-24.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.98 Rp 126.4K
$16.45 ฿555
-57.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.99 Rp 54.2K
$2.78 ฿93.9
7.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.00 Rp 144.9K
$9.31 ฿314
-14.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 Rp 49.8K
$2.35 ฿79.4
17.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.97 ฿32.79
22.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.9K
$1.60 ฿53.9
20.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 Rp 21.8K
$1.50 ฿50.6
-20.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.9K
$1.28 ฿43.11
7.03%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
$1.10 ฿37.18
84.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
$0.71 ฿23.82
19.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 Rp 8,467
$0.49 ฿16.36
-4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$4.14 ฿140
-36.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.04 Rp 381.3K
$17.52 ฿591
20.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$1.61 ฿54.5
16.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 56.1K
$2.78 ฿93.9
11.51%
🚌 Getting Around
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 Rp 3,639
$0.87 ฿29.30
-77.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.31 Rp 295.5K
$54.1 ฿1,825
-69.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.53 Rp 9,662
$1.16 ฿39.04
-54.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.32 Rp 5,775
$0.53 ฿17.80
-39.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.20 Rp 39.8K
$2.42 ฿81.7
-9.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 Rp 16.5K
$1.45 ฿48.88
-37.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K Rp 399.7M
$21.1K ฿710.5K
4.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K Rp 586.1M
$26.9K ฿909.0K
20.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$52.5 Rp 951.7K
$62.2 ฿2,098
-15.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.19 Rp 112.1K
$12.17 ฿411
-49.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.22 Rp 348.3K
$20.12 ฿679
-4.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.57 Rp 463.4K
$37.31 ฿1,259
-31.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.08 Rp 164.5K
$3.77 ฿127
140.85%
Cinema Ticket
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$6.49 ฿219
-58.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$116 Rp 2.1M
$736 ฿24.8K
-84.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,091 Rp 146.6M
$14.8K ฿498.2K
-45.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.89 Rp 704.6K
$53.4 ฿1,801
-27.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.19 Rp 510.7K
$24.64 ฿831
14.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.0 Rp 1.3M
$91.5 ฿3,087
-22.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$70.6 Rp 1.3M
$71.9 ฿2,427
-1.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$208 Rp 3.8M
$482 ฿16.3K
-56.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$309 ฿10.4K
-46.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$373 Rp 6.8M
$1,006 ฿33.9K
-62.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$307 Rp 5.6M
$633 ฿21.4K
-51.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,143 Rp 20.7M
$2,363 ฿79.7K
-51.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$927 Rp 16.8M
$1,589 ฿53.6K
-41.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
South Tangerang
Chiang Mai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$590 ฿19.9K
-25.88%
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 South Tangerang: 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
South Tangerang
$202
Chiang Mai
$234 16.2% $33
Accommodation & Living
South Tangerang
$166
Chiang Mai
$309 85.8% $143
Clothing & Footwear
South Tangerang
$94
Chiang Mai
$109 15.7% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
South Tangerang
$78
Chiang Mai
$94 21.2% $17
Eating Out
South Tangerang
$64
Chiang Mai
$78 21.9% $14
Sport & Entertainment
South Tangerang
$31
Chiang Mai
$50 62.1% $19
Getting Around
South Tangerang
$19
Chiang Mai
$61 219% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in South Tangerang 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 35% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $14 in South Tangerang versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $234 – making South Tangerang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 South Tangerang
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai
🕒 Local time
09:34 9:34 AM
09:34 9:34 AM
Same time as South Tangerang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,290,322
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
  • South Tangerang Chiang Mai 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • South Tangerang
  • 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
South Tangerang vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, South Tangerang or Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai costs about 43% more than South Tangerang, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in South Tangerang and in Chiang Mai?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $981 per month in South Tangerang 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, South Tangerang or Chiang Mai?
Rent is clearly cheaper in South Tangerang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.
How do childcare costs compare in South Tangerang and in Chiang Mai?
Kindergarten costs $116 per month in South Tangerang 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 South Tangerang or in Chiang Mai?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward South Tangerang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to South Tangerang or to Chiang Mai?
If budget matters most, go with South Tangerang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

South Tangerang vs other spots: cost of living compared

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