Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $865 per month in Tawau vs $869 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,320 per month in Tawau vs $1,362 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,776 per month in Tawau vs $1,855 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

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 36% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 MYR 14.72

$1.98 ฿64.3

83.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.66 MYR 75.7

$18.80 ฿612

-0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 MYR 16.46

$7.75 ฿252

-47.61%

Cappuccino

$2.23 MYR 9.03

$1.92 ฿62.5

16.15%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.13

$0.79 ฿25.79

-2.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 MYR 1.62

$0.36 ฿11.62

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MYR 9.29

$2.21 ฿72.1

3.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MYR 13.75

$3.66 ฿119

-7.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.49

$1.65 ฿53.8

-3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 MYR 5.30

$1.63 ฿53.2

-19.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.83

$1.19 ฿38.86

41.18%

Eggs

$2.04 MYR 8.29

$2.00 ฿65.1

2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 MYR 60.2

$15.98 ฿520

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 MYR 17.27

$3.03 ฿98.5

40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 MYR 39.33

$10.86 ฿354

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MYR 12.13

$2.76 ฿90.0

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 5.99

$1.18 ฿38.42

25.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.62

$1.64 ฿53.5

59.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.64

$1.52 ฿49.51

-8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 MYR 5.05

$1.38 ฿45.10

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$1.19 ฿38.84

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.07

$0.70 ฿22.86

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$0.56 ฿18.13

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MYR 17.02

$4.58 ฿149

-8.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 MYR 77.5

$16.56 ฿539

15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 MYR 11.17

$1.83 ฿59.5

50.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.82

$3.20 ฿104

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MYR 2.76

$0.88 ฿28.56

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.97 MYR 48.52

$18.72 ฿610

-36.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.70

$1.36 ฿44.16

-14.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 MYR 4.21

$1.34 ฿43.65

-22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 MYR 24.50

$7.84 ฿256

-22.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.99

$1.23 ฿39.92

-60.16%

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

$35.9K MYR 145.8K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

66.24%

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

$31.3K MYR 127.1K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

39.01%

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

$43.00 MYR 174

$70.5 ฿2,298

-39.04%

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

$8.93 MYR 36.21

$13.68 ฿445

-34.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.39 MYR 119

$17.45 ฿568

68.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 MYR 147

$41.33 ฿1,346

-12.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.73 MYR 23.25

$6.96 ฿227

-17.67%

Cinema Ticket

$2.90 MYR 11.74

$5.77 ฿188

-49.74%

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

$187 MYR 757

$307 ฿10.0K

-39.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,040 MYR 28.5K

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-51.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 MYR 242

$55.8 ฿1,817

7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 MYR 111

$26.21 ฿854

4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 MYR 298

$85.8 ฿2,793

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.5 MYR 205

$72.2 ฿2,353

-30.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 MYR 1,584

$430 ฿14.0K

-9.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 MYR 1,087

$239 ฿7,774

12.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MYR 2,609

$817 ฿26.6K

-21.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MYR 1,897

$511 ฿16.6K

-8.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 MYR 8,790

$1,983 ฿64.6K

9.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$985 MYR 3,993

$1,484 ฿48.3K

-33.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 MYR 1,708

$619 ฿20.2K

-31.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.07

-18.60%

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

Last update for Tawau: June 6, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Tawau versus $430 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 47% higher in Chiang Mai. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Tawau versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Tawau vs $241 in Chiang Mai – so Chiang Mai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 $1,298 per month in Tawau and $1,303 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tawau, 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 $19.00 in Tawau and $19.00 in Chiang Mai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Tawau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $865 in Tawau and $869 in Chiang Mai, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tawau costs $865 versus $869 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 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.