Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Pandan and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pandan: $617 a month against $936 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Tanjung Pandan
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Tanjung Pandan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tanjung Pandan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$617

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $617 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tanjung Pandan $617
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,000 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tanjung Pandan $1,000
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,383 per month in Tanjung Pandan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tanjung Pandan $1,383
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tanjung Pandan is about 34% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tanjung Pandan and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tanjung Pandan 55% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

$2.24 ฿75.6

-29.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 273.3K

$19.00 ฿641

-20.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.59 Rp 65.2K

$5.55 ฿187

-35.32%

Cappuccino

$1.50 Rp 27.3K

$1.67 ฿56.5

-10.18%

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

$0.42 Rp 7,687

$0.64 ฿21.54

-34.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,943

$0.31 ฿10.31

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.36 ฿79.5

-13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 Rp 60.4K

$3.66 ฿124

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$1.95 ฿65.7

-45.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$1.44 ฿48.46

-30.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.1K

$1.33 ฿45.03

-29.32%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$2.28 ฿77.1

-45.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Rp 115.5K

$16.45 ฿555

-61.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 Rp 59.2K

$2.78 ฿93.9

17.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 Rp 154.1K

$9.31 ฿314

-8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 35.0K

$2.35 ฿79.4

-17.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$0.97 ฿32.79

16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 Rp 31.9K

$1.60 ฿53.9

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$1.50 ฿50.6

-17.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Rp 19.7K

$1.28 ฿43.11

-15.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$1.10 ฿37.18

72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.71 ฿23.82

9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,297

$0.49 ฿16.36

-18.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 Rp 45.6K

$4.14 ฿140

-39.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.14 Rp 419.9K

$17.52 ฿591

32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$1.61 ฿54.5

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$2.78 ฿93.9

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,557

$0.87 ฿29.30

-71.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.41 Rp 188.8K

$54.1 ฿1,825

-80.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,524

$1.16 ฿39.04

-59.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,501

$0.53 ฿17.80

-32.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$2.42 ฿81.7

2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.1K

$1.45 ฿48.88

-39.31%

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

$20.2K Rp 366.3M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-4.13%

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

$30.6K Rp 555.6M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

13.65%

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

$60.5 Rp 1.1M

$62.2 ฿2,098

-2.65%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.5K

$12.17 ฿411

-65.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 Rp 362.9K

$20.12 ฿679

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.60 Rp 355.7K

$37.31 ฿1,259

-47.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.42 Rp 152.8K

$3.77 ฿127

123.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 Rp 55.9K

$6.49 ฿219

-52.54%

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

$88.3 Rp 1.6M

$736 ฿24.8K

-88.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,394 Rp 134.2M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.55 Rp 735.7K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-24.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 Rp 495.8K

$24.64 ฿831

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 Rp 1.5M

$91.5 ฿3,087

-11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 Rp 1.1M

$71.9 ฿2,427

-16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$482 ฿16.3K

-57.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 Rp 2.6M

$309 ฿10.4K

-54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 Rp 9.7M

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 Rp 6.9M

$633 ฿21.4K

-40.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 Rp 22.9M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 Rp 16.0M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-44.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$590 ฿19.9K

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 Tanjung Pandan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tanjung Pandan

$197 31.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 19% $37

Accommodation & Living

Tanjung Pandan

$141 22.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 119% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Tanjung Pandan

$94 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 15.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tanjung Pandan

$85 13.7%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 11.5% $9.7

Eating Out

Tanjung Pandan

$61 9.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 27.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Tanjung Pandan

$26 4.2%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 95.2% $25

Getting Around

Tanjung Pandan

$14 2.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 349% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Tanjung Pandan 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 $15 in Tanjung Pandan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $234 – making Tanjung Pandan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Tanjung Pandan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:54 8:54 PM

Same time as Tanjung Pandan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,062

127,240

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,281 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.71 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tanjung Pandan Chiang Mai 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tanjung Pandan
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

Tanjung Pandan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 52% more than Tanjung Pandan, 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 $926 per month in Tanjung Pandan 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 Tanjung Pandan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $88 per month in Tanjung Pandan and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $617 in Tanjung Pandan and $936 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Tanjung Pandan is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 52% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.