Penang vs Chiang Mai Cost of Living
Penang (Malaysia) · Overall index 26.7 — Chiang Mai (Thailand) · Overall index 26.0
Summary
- Overall, Chiang Mai is 3% cheaper than Penang.
- Telecom in Chiang Mai is 10% cheaper than in Penang.
- Rent in Chiang Mai is 5% cheaper than in Penang.
| Item | Penang | Chiang Mai | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -5% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $483 | $477 | -1% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $300 | $325 | +8% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $900 | $805 | -11% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $631 | $542 | -14% |
| Groceries | 0% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.43 | $0.53 | +23% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.46 | $1.44 | -1% |
| Rice (1kg) | $1.75 | $1.68 | -4% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.79 | $1.78 | -1% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $5.05 | $4.79 | -5% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $4.84 | $4.84 | 0% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $6.87 | $6.72 | -2% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.09 | $2.14 | +2% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $0.77 | $0.79 | +3% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $1.57 | $1.82 | +16% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2 | $2.21 | +10% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.16 | $1.07 | -8% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.14 | $0.94 | -18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $0.95 | $0.93 | -2% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $0.89 | $0.87 | -2% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $5.95 | $5.67 | -5% |
| Transport | -2% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $0.85 | $0.71 | -16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $36.7 | $38.2 | +4% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.13 | $1.11 | -2% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.57 | $0.56 | -2% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.27 | $0.29 | +7% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $8,576 | $8,510 | -1% |
| Dining out | -1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.46 | $6.98 | -6% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $33.2 | $40 | +20% |
| Fast food combo meal | $4 | $3.87 | -3% |
| Cappuccino | $1.84 | $1.62 | -12% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.81 | $0.9 | +11% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.51 | $2.41 | -4% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.65 | $2.63 | -1% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.69 | $0.64 | -7% |
| Telecom | -10% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $25.2 | $24.9 | -1% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $32.1 | $26.6 | -17% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.16 | $0.15 | -6% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $7.13 | $6.1 | -14% |
| Utilities & household | +2% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $61.1 | $67.6 | +11% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.08 | $0.08 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $1.73 | $1.58 | -9% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.59 | $0.56 | -5% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $7.9 | $8.03 | +2% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $34.1 | $32.5 | -5% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $5.59 | $6.4 | +14% |
| Men's haircut | $10.5 | $10.6 | +1% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $9.49 | $9.66 | +2% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $720 | $810 | +13% |
3,464 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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