Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $674 a month against $925 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

Jump to prices

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$674

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $674 per month in Surabaya vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surabaya $674
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Surabaya vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surabaya $1,173
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Surabaya vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Surabaya $1,672
Chiang Mai $1,914

Surabaya is about 28% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Surabaya and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

$2.29 ฿76.5

-28.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.26 Rp 202.7K

$19.64 ฿656

-42.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 Rp 56.5K

$5.61 ฿188

-44.03%

Cappuccino

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

$1.66 ฿55.6

-6.02%

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

$0.55 Rp 9,867

$0.70 ฿23.40

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,619

$0.31 ฿10.24

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$2.41 ฿80.4

-10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 Rp 74.5K

$3.71 ฿124

11.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

$1.95 ฿65.3

-35.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 Rp 22.9K

$1.41 ฿47.03

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.31 ฿43.62

-36.64%

Eggs

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.18 ฿72.9

-45.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

$16.65 ฿556

-53.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 Rp 55.5K

$2.76 ฿92.2

11.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

$9.11 ฿304

-14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$2.39 ฿80.0

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

$1.03 ฿34.26

25.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

$1.63 ฿54.4

15.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.50 ฿50.0

-0.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.4K

$1.29 ฿43.13

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

$1.11 ฿37.03

71.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

$0.72 ฿24.08

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,029

$0.53 ฿17.59

-26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$4.31 ฿144

-54.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.14 Rp 452.5K

$17.95 ฿600

40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Rp 31.3K

$1.58 ฿52.9

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 Rp 50.9K

$2.84 ฿95.0

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 Rp 6,237

$0.86 ฿28.86

-59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ฿1,780

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,282

$1.21 ฿40.29

-61.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,542

$0.57 ฿18.99

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.4K

$2.35 ฿78.6

9.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

$1.44 ฿47.96

-38.89%

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

$24.6K Rp 443.1M

$20.7K ฿692.8K

18.76%

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

$32.3K Rp 581.0M

$26.8K ฿895.7K

20.43%

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

$87.3 Rp 1.6M

$62.3 ฿2,083

40.09%

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

$4.57 Rp 82.2K

$12.11 ฿405

-62.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.05 Rp 342.9K

$19.94 ฿666

-4.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.92 Rp 322.6K

$37.07 ฿1,239

-51.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.66 Rp 119.9K

$3.78 ฿126

76.19%

Cinema Ticket

$2.64 Rp 47.5K

$6.50 ฿217

-59.38%

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

$277 Rp 5.0M

$793 ฿26.5K

-65.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,324 Rp 167.8M

$14.8K ฿494.9K

-37.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$53.7 ฿1,796

31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.58 Rp 694.4K

$24.62 ฿823

56.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$90.9 ฿3,036

-11.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 Rp 1.4M

$71.1 ฿2,378

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 Rp 5.1M

$455 ฿15.2K

-38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 Rp 2.6M

$298 ฿9,954

-51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 Rp 22.3M

$908 ฿30.4K

36.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 Rp 10.8M

$554 ฿18.5K

8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,161 Rp 38.9M

$1,931 ฿64.5K

11.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Rp 19.3M

$1,445 ฿48.3K

-25.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 Rp 4.9M

$591 ฿19.7K

-54.22%

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 Surabaya: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$209 31%

Chiang Mai

$235 25.5% 12.8% $27

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$144 21.4%

Chiang Mai

$298 32.2% 106% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$119 17.7%

Chiang Mai

$108 11.7% 9.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$111 16.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.2% 14.9% $17

Eating Out

Surabaya

$63 9.4%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.5% 24% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$23 3.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 116% $27

Getting Around

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 1443% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Surabaya versus $464 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 120% 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 $11.00 in Surabaya versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $238 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

Same time as Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surabaya Chiang Mai 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
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

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

Chiang Mai costs about 39% more than Surabaya, 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 $1,011 per month in Surabaya and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surabaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Surabaya and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surabaya, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Surabaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surabaya costs $674 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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