Kuala Lumpur vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) · Overall index 30.4 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 14% cheaper than Kuala Lumpur.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 25% cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 20% cheaper than in Kuala Lumpur.
| Item | Kuala Lumpur | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -25% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $632 | $477 | -25% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $376 | $325 | -14% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,249 | $805 | -36% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $701 | $542 | -23% |
| Groceries | -14% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.5 | $0.53 | +6% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.69 | $1.44 | -15% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.35 | $1.68 | -29% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.8 | $1.78 | -1% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.57 | $4.79 | -27% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $5.8 | $4.84 | -17% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $7.49 | $6.72 | -10% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.14 | -13% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.95 | $0.79 | -17% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.07 | $1.82 | -12% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.46 | $2.21 | -10% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.31 | $1.07 | -18% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.14 | $0.94 | -18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.1 | $0.93 | -15% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.9 | $0.87 | -3% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $6.65 | $5.67 | -15% |
| Transport | -10% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.78 | $0.71 | -9% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $39.3 | $38.2 | -3% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.38 | $1.11 | -20% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.65 | $0.56 | -14% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.3 | $0.29 | -3% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $9,592 | $8,510 | -11% |
| Dining out | -5% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.83 | $6.98 | -21% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $39.1 | $40 | +2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $3.81 | $3.87 | +2% |
| Cappuccino | $1.75 | $1.62 | -7% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.85 | $0.9 | +6% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.76 | $2.41 | -13% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.57 | $2.63 | +2% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.7 | $0.64 | -9% |
| Telecom | -20% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $31.5 | $24.9 | -21% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $32.6 | $26.6 | -18% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.17 | $0.15 | -12% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.33 | $6.1 | -27% |
| Utilities & household | -11% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $76.2 | $67.6 | -11% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.1 | $0.08 | -20% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.95 | $1.58 | -19% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.61 | $0.56 | -8% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $9.76 | $8.03 | -18% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $32.7 | $32.5 | -1% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $6.5 | $6.4 | -2% |
| Men's haircut | $13.5 | $10.6 | -21% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.73 | $9.66 | -1% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $876 | $810 | -8% |
3,378 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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