Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Chiang Mai

For one person, living costs are similar in Tawau and in Chiang Mai: $932 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
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Tawau Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $932 per month in Tawau vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tawau $932
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Tawau vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tawau $1,391
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $1,851 per month in Tawau vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Tawau $1,851
Chiang Mai $1,979

Tawau and Chiang Mai have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Tawau and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Tawau 32% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.24 MYR 13.26

$2.24 ฿75.7

44.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 MYR 80.2

$19.00 ฿642

3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 17.18

$5.55 ฿188

-24.32%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MYR 12.49

$1.67 ฿56.6

83.23%

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

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$0.64 ฿21.56

46.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.31 ฿10.32

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MYR 11.08

$2.36 ฿79.6

14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 MYR 18.74

$3.66 ฿124

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.30

$1.95 ฿65.8

-8.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.22

$1.44 ฿48.51

-28.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.33 ฿45.07

7.52%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.17

$2.28 ฿77.1

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 MYR 47.85

$16.45 ฿556

-28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 MYR 17.91

$2.78 ฿94.0

57.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MYR 38.62

$9.31 ฿314

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MYR 12.67

$2.35 ฿79.5

31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.27

$0.97 ฿32.82

57.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.40

$1.60 ฿53.9

58.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.54

$1.50 ฿50.7

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.77

$1.28 ฿43.15

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.95

$1.10 ฿37.22

32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$0.71 ฿23.84

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.49 ฿16.38

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MYR 18.15

$4.14 ฿140

7.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.9

$17.52 ฿592

8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$1.61 ฿54.5

88.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 MYR 18.78

$2.78 ฿94.0

65.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.84

$0.87 ฿29.33

-20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.10 MYR 45.35

$54.1 ฿1,827

-79.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$1.16 ฿39.08

3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.53 ฿17.82

1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 MYR 31.15

$2.42 ฿81.8

214.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 MYR 3.18

$1.45 ฿48.93

-46.21%

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

$51.4K MYR 210.0K

$21.1K ฿711.2K

143.97%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

$26.9K ฿909.8K

29.38%

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

$50.5 MYR 206

$62.2 ฿2,100

-18.76%

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

$10.55 MYR 43.10

$12.17 ฿411

-13.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 MYR 115

$20.12 ฿680

39.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.09 MYR 176

$37.31 ฿1,260

15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.77 MYR 27.68

$3.77 ฿127

79.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 MYR 15.17

$6.49 ฿219

-42.84%

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

$240 MYR 982

$736 ฿24.9K

-67.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 MYR 32.1K

$14.8K ฿498.6K

-46.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MYR 227

$53.4 ฿1,802

4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 MYR 147

$24.64 ฿832

45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 MYR 308

$91.5 ฿3,089

-17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.2 MYR 279

$71.9 ฿2,429

-5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 MYR 1,881

$482 ฿16.3K

-4.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MYR 1,288

$309 ฿10.4K

2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 MYR 3,188

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-22.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 MYR 2,121

$633 ฿21.4K

-18.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,240 MYR 9,153

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-5.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,307 MYR 5,342

$1,589 ฿53.7K

-17.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 MYR 1,732

$590 ฿19.9K

-28.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.57

-27.11%

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

Last update for Tawau: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tawau

$315 33.8%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 2% $6.3

Groceries & Markets

Tawau

$250 26.9%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 6.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Tawau

$106 11.4%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 2.7% $2.8

Eating Out

Tawau

$103 11.1%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 24.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tawau

$89 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 6% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Tawau

$51 5.4%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 0.5% $0.2

Getting Around

Tawau

$18 1.9%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 246% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Tawau 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 39% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Tawau versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Tawau

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

23:54 11:54 PM

1 h behind Tawau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

420,806

127,240

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 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

Tawau Chiang Mai 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tawau
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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,398 per month in Tawau and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $460 in Tawau and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Tawau and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Tawau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $932 in Tawau and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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 Tawau. 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.