Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Subang Jaya and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,288 in Subang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,288

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,288 per month in Subang Jaya vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,288
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Subang Jaya vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Subang Jaya $1,775
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,262 per month in Subang Jaya vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Subang Jaya $2,262
Chiang Mai $1,979

Subang Jaya costs about 38% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Subang Jaya and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Subang Jaya 5% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.81

$2.24 ฿75.7

62.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.42 MYR 79.2

$19.00 ฿642

2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 MYR 18.75

$5.55 ฿188

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.92 MYR 11.90

$1.67 ฿56.6

74.85%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.94

$0.64 ฿21.56

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MYR 1.50

$0.31 ฿10.32

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 MYR 16.56

$2.36 ฿79.6

72.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 MYR 18.05

$3.66 ฿124

21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.32

$1.95 ฿65.8

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$1.44 ฿48.51

-26.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.19

$1.33 ฿45.07

33.08%

Eggs

$2.25 MYR 9.19

$2.28 ฿77.1

-1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 MYR 56.4

$16.45 ฿556

-15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.01

$2.78 ฿94.0

58.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 MYR 35.79

$9.31 ฿314

-5.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MYR 12.53

$2.35 ฿79.5

31.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.45

$0.97 ฿32.82

88.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 MYR 9.02

$1.60 ฿53.9

38.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.93

$1.50 ฿50.7

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 MYR 4.35

$1.28 ฿43.15

-16.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.10 ฿37.22

-1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MYR 4.44

$0.71 ฿23.84

53.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.49 ฿16.38

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.84

$4.14 ฿140

5.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 MYR 76.6

$17.52 ฿592

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 MYR 12.16

$1.61 ฿54.5

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 MYR 19.84

$2.78 ฿94.0

75.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 MYR 1.02

$0.87 ฿29.33

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 MYR 99.0

$54.1 ฿1,827

-55.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$1.16 ฿39.08

6.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MYR 1.64

$0.53 ฿17.82

-24.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 MYR 20.10

$2.42 ฿81.8

103.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 MYR 3.56

$1.45 ฿48.93

-40.00%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

109.17%

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

$35.0K MYR 142.8K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

30.10%

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

$37.37 MYR 152

$62.2 ฿2,100

-39.89%

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

$10.06 MYR 40.99

$12.17 ฿411

-17.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.58 MYR 116

$20.12 ฿680

42.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.43 MYR 128

$37.31 ฿1,260

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.51 MYR 10.23

$3.77 ฿127

-33.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 MYR 19.83

$6.49 ฿219

-24.96%

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

$396 MYR 1,615

$736 ฿24.9K

-46.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-26.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 MYR 241

$53.4 ฿1,802

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 MYR 144

$24.64 ฿832

43.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 MYR 342

$91.5 ฿3,089

-8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 289

$71.9 ฿2,429

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 MYR 3,469

$482 ฿16.3K

76.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 MYR 2,701

$309 ฿10.4K

114.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 MYR 4,350

$1,006 ฿34.0K

6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 MYR 3,693

$633 ฿21.4K

43.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 MYR 9,551

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-0.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,876 MYR 7,643

$1,589 ฿53.7K

18.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$933 MYR 3,800

$590 ฿19.9K

58.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.57

-27.47%

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

Last update for Subang Jaya: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Subang Jaya

$663 51.5%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 53.4% $354

Groceries & Markets

Subang Jaya

$255 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 8.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Subang Jaya

$112 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 3.3% $3.7

Eating Out

Subang Jaya

$111 8.7%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 30.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Subang Jaya

$76 5.9%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Subang Jaya

$41 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.2% $9.1

Getting Around

Subang Jaya

$29 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 115% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $851 in Subang Jaya 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 58% higher in Subang Jaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Subang Jaya versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Subang Jaya vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

22:13 10:13 PM

1 h behind Subang Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

902,086

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Subang Jaya Chiang Mai 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Subang Jaya
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

Subang Jaya vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subang Jaya costs about 38% 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 $1,932 per month in Subang Jaya 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 Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $851 in Subang Jaya.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Subang Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Subang Jaya, 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 $1,288 in Subang Jaya 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 $1,288 in Subang Jaya. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Subang Jaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.